A Hole for Two
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: This is an AU story that begins at the end of XX. Instead of letting Kate leave, Castle convinces her to tell him the truth. She immediately finds out things are not at all the way she thought they were. She and Castle begin to pursue the mystery of why Kate was targeted, together. I own nothing Castle, but I can borrow a cup of angst and 2 cups of love.
1. Chapter 1

A Hole for Two

Chapter 1

When his wife approached the kitchen, Castle turned from flipping the sweet and quirky s'morelets he was preparing as a light supper. His eyes immediately fell on the duffel bag she carried. "Kate what's that? Are you going somewhere?"

Kate bit her lip as tears threatened to well in her eyes. "Castle I have to go. There are some things I have to work out. And I have to do it alone."

Castle gazed at her in shock. "Kate, if you have a problem, then we have a problem. That's how this works. Stay. Whatever is going on we can work it out together, like always. Partners in crime and in life, remember?"

The tears she had been fighting over-topped Kate's lashes."Castle, I'm sorry I can't. I have to do this by myself."

The omelet pan began to smoke behind Castle as he stared at his wife. "Why are you throwing away our marriage?"

"Castle," she protested, as her eyes blurred the face she desperately wanted to remember, "I'm not throwing it away. I'm trying to save it."

"I don't believe you!" Castle retorted. "There was nothing wrong with our marriage - until that phone call. You were going to the job you wanted, I was building my P.I. business. We were happy. We were..."

The smoke alarm began to scream.

"Castle the stove! You're going going to burn down the kitchen," Kate warned, dropping her bag and moving toward the source of the smoke.

Castle grabbed her by the shoulders. "Screw it! Kate, I don't care if the whole loft burns down. The only thing I'm worried about losing is you. I've seen this look before, when you were headed for a rabbit hole. It's obsession. Please, tell me what's going on."

Kate buried her face in his chest. "Oh Castle if I do, I could lose more than a loft. I could lose you. They already might kill me. I couldn't bear it if they went after you too."

The doorman banged on the door. "Mr Castle! Mr. Castle! Are you all right in there?"

Kate backed away. "We have to take care of that." She went to turn off the stove while Castle opened the door.

"Just a little cooking mishap, Eduardo," Castle hurriedly explained. "Nothing to worry about. We'll be fine."

"It you say so, Mr. Castle," The doorman agreed doubtfully as Kate pressed the reset button on the smoke alarm and the blaring stopped. "You have a good night now."

Castle closed the door and turned back to Kate. "Kate, I have walked into a burning apartment for you. I've stayed by your side when you were standing on a bomb. I made myself a target for 3XK so that Esposito could take him out and we could save you from that insane bitch of a plastic surgeon. The mercs who were after you already tried to kill me. I'm still here. I would walk into a tornado for you. I thought you'd understand that by now. There is no way I can let you walk away to save me. So talk to me. What's really going on?"

Kate dropped heavily to a stool at the counter, in the still smoky air. "Castle, I met a woman named Rita. She said she's your stepmother. She told me that Alison Hyde wasn't really behind the slaughter of my team at the A.G.'s task force. Bracken had a partner who was protecting him, someone known only as LokSat. LokSat killed those people."

Castle paced the hardwood floor beside her. "I can't believe that my father married anyone. When we were in Paris he told me that he couldn't have any relationships. That's why he couldn't be with mother and me. He cited Alexis' kidnapping as proof. Then he said the same thing when he manipulated us into helping him with the Gemini case. Whoever this Rita is, she was probably lying to you. And how about Vikram? He started all of this. You don't know him either. He never worked with you. What did he have, an emergency code? He's a hacker. Who knows how he got it? He almost got you killed. He almost got both of us killed. And Kate, do you know if your team is even really dead? Did you ever try to call Rachel or Richmond or Villante? "

Kate buried her face in her hands before drawing a shaky breath, pulling out her cell phone, and putting it on speaker. Rachel McCord answered on the first ring. "Kate, nice to hear from you. I was following the story when that crazy writer of yours disappeared. I'm glad everything seems to have worked out all right. Do you have a case that has something to do with our office?"

Castle held Kate's eyes as she answered. "Rachel, I was checking on something. I'm captain of the precinct now and there's a guy here named Vikram Singh I'm looking to put in as a replacement for a tech who went into the private sector. He says he worked at your office. He knew I worked there and said he was hired in the last few months. I'm not asking for anything classified, but can you confirm or deny?"

"Kate, congratulations on your promotion, but no one named Vikram Singh works here or to my knowledge ever has," Rachel replied, her voice heavy with concern. "Most people aren't even supposed to know the task force exists, you know that. Whoever he is, he damned well shouldn't have known you worked here. Listen, don't let him know you suspect anything is wrong. I'll fill Villante in and get on a plane. I should be there by morning. Watch yourself."

"I will," Kate agreed, ending the call. She slid from her stool to wrap her arms around her husband. "You were right, Castle. Everything happened so fast, I didn't have time to think about it. Whatever is going on, it isn't what I thought it was. Someone is doing this to me, to us, and I have no idea who or why. And if Vikram was lying, Rita probably was too. But how could she know about your father? He's in deep cover. She even called him Jackson Hunt. How would she know his name?"

"That may be a clue," Castle realized. "I don't know what his name is, but it isn't Jackson Hunt anymore than it was Anderson Cross, the guy he posed as when he took out Gemini. When I met him in France he told me Jackson Hunt was made up. Whoever Rita is, she is tied in with the CIA, but maybe not at a high level. There's one person who might be able to tell us."

"You mean your father?" Kate queried. "Can you even contact him?"

Castle pulled out of Kate's arms but offered his hand to lead her to his office. "When I was ten, my father was a stranger who handed me a copy of _Casino Royale_ at the public library. After Paris, he sent me one to let me know he was alive. I know he keeps tabs on our family, he's told me that much. If I mention _Casino Royale_ on my blog, he may take the hint and get in touch." Castle slipped into his seat in front of his desk and flipped open his laptop with Kate watching over his shoulder and began to type.

 _Just re-read Casino Royale. It may not be the best book ever, but in many ways it was for me, since it started me on the road to being a writer. I will always remember it and the special meaning it has in my life. If any of my faithful readers has a comment on the book, I'd love to hear from you._

Castle posted his entry and rising from his chair, closed the computer again. "Kate, there's something else I need to do." Castle walked the short distance to the bedroom. He pulled a small box from the dresser and opened it, revealing a circle of silver and diamonds engraved with the word "Always." "I found this in a pool of your blood. There was so much blood I thought you were dead, that you'd never wear it again. Now I'm asking you to wear it again, but only if you mean what it says. No more secrets. No more lies. No more pushing me away, even if you think it's for my own good. No matter how deep you have to go to pursue whatever is happening, I'll be in that hole right beside you. Can you do that Kate? Is there a door in that Beckett wall you can unlock to let me in?"

Kate extended her hand. "You have the key, Babe, the only key. I love you Rick, always."

Castle snapped the bracelet around her wrist.


	2. Chapter 2

A Hole for Two

Chapter 2

In the darkness of their bedroom in the loft, Castle held Kate tightly, almost afraid that if he let go, she'd slip away again. It was almost dawn and he'd been awake most of the night. Whoever had drawn Kate into a living nightmare had used real bullets and - he shuddered - real spiders. There were still points of disturbing sensation on his face where the arachnids had crawled as Castle was tortured for information. He was bruised and battered, almost as much as Kate was. A bandage covered the bullet graze on Kate's midsection, but Castle felt as if he'd been run over by a truck. It wasn't all physical. The thought that Kate, with all the street savvy of her years with the N.Y.P.D., could be fooled in the way she had been, was terrifying. And much as he wanted with all his heart to believe her, Kate's promise not to keep anything else from him was unconvincing. There had been too many times, from her denial of her remembrance of his first declaration of love, to having Christmas duty, to her interview for the A.G.'s task force, to her crippling stage fright, when lying to him had been her default setting. And it had only taken one lie from Vikram to make her regress to the obsessed loner she had been before they'd put Bracken behind bars. Then there was the anger. The burn of it was doing as much to keep him awake as the pain and the fear. He didn't want to feel it. He loved Kate more than he'd ever loved any woman. That had never changed. He couldn't imagine a way it could. But if anything, that made her instinctive response to exclude him when the fateful call had come, even more hurtful. He fingered the silver promise that encircled her wrist. He was sure she'd try to keep her word to him, he just wasn't sure she could do it. He would just have to stay so close to her that there would be nothing for her to hide.

The doorbell sounded in a short burst. Kate stirred as Castle rose to answer it. Rachel McCord stood on the threshold, grasping the handle of a small carry-on and holding a tote large enough to accommodate a laptop. Castle motioned her in. "Kate should be out in a minute."

With a robe over her N.Y.P.D. shirt and moving stiffly, Kate joined them a moment later. Rachel wasted no time. She seated herself at the table and pulled out her computer to take notes. "Tell me about Vikram Singh."

Kate quickly recounted how she had received the urgent call from Vikram giving her the emergency code and claiming that Rachel and the other members of the team were dead. She described the attacks that followed.

Rachel sighed. "I suppose there's no point in telling you that you shouldn't have been using the resources of the A.G.'s office and the F.B.I. to pursue your own personal vendetta."

Kate ran a hand unconsciously through her hair and ruefully shook her head.

"I need to talk to Vikram," Rachel decided. "I can't do it at your precinct. There are too many people there who would recognize me. They might unwittingly tip him off I'm coming."

The corners of Castle's mouth threatened to lift. "And none of them like you. You stole a case from them. They still remember how you almost kept them from getting Charlie Reynolds' murderer. But we could use the offices of Castle Investigations."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow. "Castle Investigations?"

"You mock," Castle replied, "but it is a state of the art facility. Anyway, Vikram's been there before. He won't be surprised if Kate calls him and asks him to meet her there."

"I guess it's as good an idea as any," Rachel conceded. Kate went to retrieve her cell phone from the bedroom to make the call. "Mr. Castle, I seem to recall from my last visit to New York that you have a talent for making good coffee," Rachel said with a yawn, while Kate was gone.

"Among my many others," Castle agreed. "I think we can all use a cup. Agent McCord, I promise you the special Castle blend will be a revelation."

"Mr. Castle," Rachel responded, "It may be the first welcome revelation I've had tonight."

* * *

Castle stayed in the inner room of his office with Rachel while Kate waited in reception for Vikram. He twiddled a pencil nervously. "I don't like leaving Kate out there alone."

"We don't want to spook him," Rachel reminded him. "As soon as Kate gets him talking, we'll join her. She'll be fine. She has her gun, Mr. Castle, and we'll be watching."

"Under the circumstances you might as well call me Rick," he suggested.

"Rick," Rachel repeated, "and you can call me Rachel. It's faster than Agent McCord."

Castle regarded the screen that showed the camera feed from reception. "He's here. Do you recognize him?"

"No," Rachel answered, using her phone to capture the image on the screen, "but I'll send this through facial recognition and see what we get."

"What's going on?" Vikram asked Kate, who was perched on the corner of the reception desk.

"I've been seeing a ghost," Kate replied.

Vikram backed up a step. "What are you talking about, Kate?"

Rachel stepped into the room holding a gun on Vikram. "I believe she means me. I'm the reportedly late Agent Rachel McCord, Who are you?"

Castle emerged behind Rachel. "Considering you almost got my wife killed, I'd like to know that too, because you sure as hell aren't who you told Kate you are."

"I'm someone who will be asserting his right to remain silent," Vikram responded. "So you might as well take me in and lock me up - if you can think of something to charge me with. You won't have me long."

"Well we can start with possession of classified codes," Rachel returned. "That's enough to lock you up for safekeeping until I can get an escort to take you to D.C.. We can add on all the people you've gotten killed later - and whatever else comes up when we identify you."

Vikram just smirked.

Kate cuffed Vikram tightly enough to produce as much discomfort as she could, while Rachel called the local FBI office for transport. Two F.B.I. agents in the predictable black SUV came to claim their prisoner. "It could take a while to get an I.D.," Rachel speculated, after the FBI had departed. "I should probably find a hotel to catch a couple of hours sleep, and set up shop until I have one. I don't want to call in my people until we have more to go on."

Wanting some much needed time alone with Kate, Castle almost bit his tongue as he made an offer. "We have a guest room, the wi fi is encrypted, and we have multiple fire walls, which is more than you'd get at a hotel. You can work out of the loft. Your suitcase is already there anyway."

"It's a good idea," Kate added. "I have to check in at the precinct; the captain can't be AWOL forever. But you can brainstorm with Castle. In many ways he's had a clearer picture of this situation than I have. You can let me know when you get any info on Vikram."

"Alright," Rachel agreed. "You be careful, Kate. We still have no idea what's going on. Let's have hourly check-ins."

Ignoring Rachel's presence, Castle pulled Kate in for a kiss. "Make it half-hourly."


	3. Chapter 3

A Hole for Two

Chapter 3

As Rachel bent over her laptop and Castle paced, Rachel's cell phone buzzed. Castle could immediately see from the look on her face that it wasn't a social call. "Kate?" he asked anxiously.

Rachel shook her head. "No. That was the station chief at the local FBI office. Vikram has been killed. He was in a holding cell. The cameras were disabled and he was shot dead center in his forehead. No one heard anything. The killer must have used a silencer and didn't leave a trace."

Castle flashed back to the intrusion of Jerry Tyson into the 12th precinct when Castle was a prisoner in a cell. But it couldn't have been Tyson. Castle had seen his dead body after it fell from Esposito's bullet. He'd checked the pulse himself and watched Lanie open Tyson's chest for the autopsy. But it was someone with a similar skill set and a soul as venomous. "Could the FBI office have a mole?" he wondered out loud.

"It's possible," Rachel replied grimly. "Whoever is behind all this knew Vikram was blown. He may have had Vikram under surveillance."

"That means Kate could be too!" Castle exclaimed. "There might even be someone at the precinct!" With panicky fingers Castle pushed a button on his cell, releasing a breath only when he heard Kate's voice. Once he could talk, he filled her in on what happened. "Kate, you need a safe place," he urged.

"Castle," Kate soothed, "Ryan and Esposito are right outside my office. I'll be fine here. I'll fill them in and I'll be back at the loft as soon as I can. Then we can work out some kind of a plan."

"I'm not waiting," Castle declared after the call ended. "I need to to work on something now." He started to head for his office.

"I'm going to head back to D.C. as soon as I can get a flight," Rachel called after him. "I have more resources there and people I can trust. Whoever did this has breached the security of our office as well as launching an attack on Kate. Villante will want everyone on it. We still don't have a hit on Vikram's I.D.. Richmond may have some ideas. I'd set up a security detail for Kate, but we can't trust the F.B.I. here now."

"I know an agent I can trust," Castle offered. "Kate and I worked a serial killer case with her and we saved her ass. It's Jordan Shaw."

"Wow, you don't go for the second team do you Castle?" Rachel replied, her voice tinged with awe. "She is a legend. This isn't her kind of case, but if you can get her to put her mind on this, we can certainly use the help."

Cell phone still in hand, Castle scrolled through his list of contacts.

* * *

A nondescript blue sedan was parked at the curb of 425 Broom Street while Jordan Shaw met with Castle and Beckett in their loft above. "Kate, I can set up security details for you," Jordan explained, "but if your suspicions about a mole in the local office are justified, it may do more harm than good. I can account for your absence from the 12th by requesting you on special assignment, but we need a place for you to work from that no one knows about. That would exclude FBI and N.Y.P.D. safe houses."

"I have an idea," Castle said. "One of my mystery writer poker buddies, Garland Surplice, has an estate in Forest Hills. He's a bit of an eccentric and aside from poker nights, a recluse. His place is as tight as a drum with cameras and security everywhere. He's in Scotland right now, writing in an old keep, for the ambiance. He owes me a favor. There was this woman and..."

Castle halted for a moment at a sharp glance from Kate. "That story doesn't matter right now, but he does owe me big time. I can ask for the loan of his place. It's less than an hour from Manhattan, closer to half an hour if you push it. Scotland is five hours ahead of us. This is his best writing time. He'll be up. I can call him."

* * *

Castle put away his cell. "It's all set. Garly gave me the codes to the gate and the security system. His staff is on leave or with him in Scotland, but he said that the utilities are on to keep everything running. The pantry is full, but we'll have to stock the refrigerator. We can go anytime."

"The sooner the better," Jordan advised.

* * *

Kate studied the screaming Tzeentch paintings on the wall in the study of the Surplice Estate. "Castle, you weren't kidding about your friend being eccentric. How could anyone work looking at those?"

"I don't think he does much work in this room, Kate. He likes to take his laptop to bed with him, kind of like you do. He has the paintings to maintain an image for anyone who interviews him in here. It makes for great press." Castle's eyes widened. "Ooh, maybe I should get some creepy paintings for the house in the Hamptons."

"Not if you ever want me to be with you there again," Kate cautioned. She waved a hand at the startling portraits. "Maybe we can cover those up while we're here or find another room to set up in."

"We could use the game room," Castle suggested. "There's ethernet down there which would make whatever internet searches we make more secure than using wi fi." Castle led the way to a cavernous room on the lower level, equipped with large high definition screens, keyboards, and gaming consoles. A poker table occupied an area near a well stocked bar.

Kate's eyes lit up when she saw a corner dedicated to old style pinball machines. "I love those! I used to play with my father. He's really good. He could win enough free games to play all afternoon on one quarter or token. We used to get some nasty looks from the staff at Chuck E. Cheese. He bought extra pizza to make up for it."

"Imagine that," Castle grinned, "Jim Beckett, a pinball wizard. I have a whole new respect for your family tree."

"Well right now Castle, we have to concentrate on keeping that tree intact. I'm glad Dad's at his cabin, Martha's on a theater junket and Alexis in taking that seminar in forensics in Syracuse. This is a good place to research who has the resources to hire the mercs to go after me and you - and who is mad enough at me to do it. Esposito and Ryan are going to drop copies of all my old case files at a packing store where they can be sent here by courier." Kate chewed on her lip. "We'll just have to go through everything word by word until something pops or we get something from Rachel and her team."

Castle looked around the room and headed for the bar. "All in all, I wish we were here to play poker."

Kate followed him and filled two glasses with amber liquid. "Yeah Castle, so do I - or at least pinball."

A/N The fanfiction site has had a glitch that wouldn't allow me to view or answer reviews. I just checked and it seems to finally be fixed. While it was down, the reviews have been coming to my email. So I thank you all. And for TorontoSun, heeeeres Jordan!


	4. Chapter 4

A Hole for Two

Chapter 4

The bed in the master suite of the Surplice house was huge, massive, and slightly disconcerting. The wood from which it was crafted weighed hundreds of pounds, causing the floor underneath it to sag. Posters rose at each corner bearing carved heads that could have easily inspired nightmares. After hours of eyes tortured by fruitless computer searches, Kate stared at it doubtfully. "I don't know, Castle. This isn't much better than looking at the scream fest in the study. Maybe we could choose another room.

Castle rotated his shoulders, trying to ease away the stiffness. "The guest rooms have singles. Garly has never been crazy about hanky panky under his roof. Even when he's writing he prefers slaughter to sex. I've never understood that but I can't argue with his sales figures. His housekeeper and his major domo are married though and they're in Scotland with him. I bet their room has at least a double, if we can find it. I've never seen it."

Kate's face screwed up in doubt. "I wouldn't want to intrude on the staff. Maybe we can just put some of your socks over those carvings."

"Alright," Castle agreed. "Let's use the ones with Groot on them. We'll still have a wooden face, it will just be friendlier."

Kate laughed, despite her fatigue. "Castle, only you would think of something like that."

Castle cupped her lower curves in his hand. "And that's why you love me."

Castle had just pulled back the thousand thread count sheets and mountainous featherbed when Kate's phone signaled a call from Rachel McCord. "Richmond found out who Vikram was," Rachel reported. "He was in a black ops data base. Richmond won't tell us how he hacked in, but he matched Vikram's face. He wasn't Indian, he was Pakistani. He studied in the U.S.. That's how he lost the accent. He did odd jobs for our forces in Afghanistan, especially along the Pakistani border, but he wasn't loyal to the U.S., only the U.S. dollar. The buzz was that he had been working for the Russians before our troops arrived. He might still have had Russian ties, but there was no information about what they might be. We're still looking into that. If the Russians hacked our codes, we have a real problem. Everyone down here is scrambling to cover our butts."

Kate sighed. "Thanks Rachel. At least that's some kind of direction. Thank Richmond for me too."

"Will do," Rachel acknowledged. "Take care, Kate."

Kate began to head for the door of the bedroom but Castle took her hand to pull her back. "Kate, neither of us can see straight. Get a few hours of sleep. Your files should be here in the morning. We can pore over them looking for Russians, Pakistanis or anyone else who might make sense."

"Okay Castle," Kate conceded. "Ryan and Esposito were going for early delivery. That means they should be here by eight. We can spend what's left of the night in this monstrosity."

"Just cuddle into me," Castle urged, "and you won't have to see it."

* * *

Castle sat on the edge of the bed and handed a mug to Kate. She sipped appreciatively. "This tastes like your special brew."

"It is," Castle confirmed. "I knew Garly only drinks tea - or scotch - so I brought some decent coffee just in case."

Kate stretched up for a kiss. "How did I ever think I could manage without you?"

Castle framed her face in his hands before their lips touched again. "I have no idea. But it's seven o'clock and we have time to grab a shower. I've checked. There are no terrified faces or gargoyles to peer down at us, just some slightly creepy swirls in the glass of the enclosure. After you've had your caffeine jump start, care to join me?"

Kate stretched in a way that brought Castle to instant attention. "That sounds great. Get the water running and I'll be right in."

Kate stepped into the clouds of steam spicily scented by Castle's soap. Castle shifted position so she could avail herself of the hot spray. Knots she hadn't realized she had in the muscles of her shoulders began to relax, aided by the massage of Castle's hands. She leaned back into him. "That is so good!"

"And I thought you liked me better when I'm bad," Castle quipped.

Kate turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Bad is even better. I missed you. I was only gone for two days and I missed you. I don't know how I would have survived if you'd let me leave."

Castle lifted her and turned so that she was braced against the wall with her legs wrapped around his waist. "You'll never have to find out."

Their lips came together, hotter than the vapors that surrounded them. The glass rattled as they struggled for greater closeness as skin slid against slick skin under the pelting droplets. "We'll break Garland's shower," Kate whispered breathlessly.

"I'll buy him a new one," Castle growled.

Kate clenched her legs even tighter as they slammed together. She couldn't get enough of him. Their lips mashed as she stroked the skin of his back. Starved for oxygen, she drew back just long enough to gulp air, before her tongue sought his, twining in an ageless dance. She could feel him jerk within her as his body shuddered, triggering her own shattering release. He held her to him as the paroxysms passed, until her legs slid down his and her feet once more found purchase on the shower floor.

Kate glanced back at the still clouded enclosure as they wrapped themselves in the Egyptian cotton of Garland's bath sheets. "We didn't break it."

Castle kissed the dripping strands of her hair. "We can try again later."

* * *

The boxes from Ryan and Esposito arrived as promised. Castle spread the files on Garland's poker table, sorting them into piles. "What are you using as categories?" Kate asked.

"My estimate of the IQ of the perpetrators, to start," Castle replied. "I've got too dumb to know what an emergency code would be, too dumb to hire someone to crack a code, smart enough to understand a code but in no position to do anything about it, and smart enough to understand a code with enough resources to come after you. Then I've got an odd pile of the cases that are still dangling for some reason and another one with government connections of some kind. The last three piles are probably our best bets to find our puppet master. I checked your back while we were in the shower and there's nothing burrowing in there."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Castle, it's a little early for Star Trek jokes."

"Star Trek," Castle repeated huffily. "They stole those parasites from Robert Heinlein. I saw a copy of his book in Garland's library. I can get it for you to read after we've uncovered our own invasive threat."

Kate pressed her lips together to suppress a smile at her husband's nerdish charm. "Fine Castle, one threat at a time. I'll take the smart and resourceful and you can take the connections. We can leave the danglers for now."

A dozen comments sprang to Castle's mind and he used his hand to keep them from emerging from his mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

A Hole for Two

Chapter 5

Kate flipped through the pages of a file. "Castle, do you remember Adam Lane?"

"The Netslayer? Of course. Guy who was cyber-bullied in high school and got his twisted revenge by becoming a serial killer and trying to frame the cop who couldn't protect him. Didn't he get sent away for life?"

Kate chewed nervously on her lower lip. "My notes only go through the end of his trial because that was when my part, our part, in the case stopped. But I heard that his lawyer was trying to appeal his sentence. The argument was that Adam had some form of P.T.S.D. that contributed to his crime. His attorney was trying to get him into a psychiatric facility instead of prison."

"His lawyer might have had a point," Castle pointed out. "Adam was more than a few cards shy of a full deck."

Kate nodded slowly. "But he was a gifted hacker and he'd used his skills to build up a lot of money. That's how he managed to pull off all the crazy stuff he did. What if he got out somehow or is controlling someone on the outside?"

Castle shook his head. "I can't see him working with a partner. The guy couldn't relate to another human being to save his life. That was one of the reasons he became what he did. But I could see him making an escape, especially after all the media buzz over his crimes died down. He wanted to be a legend, and an escape to get revenge on the cop that caught him would pump up his myth. If Adam got out, Bill Garrett, that retired cyber-cop he framed and who helped us catch him, would probably be a target even more than you would. You should call Jordan. Serial killers are definitely in her ballpark. If Lane's out, she'd know about it, or could find out fast."

"Ryan and Esposito can check on Garrett," Kate added.

"You make the calls and I'll make lunch while we're waiting," Castle suggested.

Kate rubbed the hollowness in her abdomen. "Good thought Castle.

* * *

Kate met Castle in the Surplice kitchen, a culinary edifice even more impressive than Castle's own, but in keeping with the creepy atmosphere of the house. The cabinets were of dark wood with stained glass doors bearing images of unidentifiable creatures. The counters were thick, hard, and black. Kate ran her fingers over the cold surface. "Are these granite?"

"Soapstone," Castle corrected, "the stuff they used to use for the tops of lab benches. Impervious to almost everything, perfect for a mad scientist. We had them in some of the more distinguished educational institutions I got thrown out of. Garly told me that he bought these from the surplus outlet of an aerospace company and had them shipped here. The lower cabinets were built around them."

"Does he cook in here?" Kate wondered. "I thought you said he has a housekeeper."

"He does have a housekeeper," Castle confirmed. "But he loves to create new recipes, especially if he can use them to freak people out. Once he served appetizers that turned out to be eye of newt - real eye of newt. Not bad though."

Kate choked. "Tell me that's not what you're making for lunch."

Castle's eyes crinkled as a grin almost split his face. "I'm not making eye of newt for lunch," he assured her when he stopped laughing. "It's a stir fry and you will find the ingredients - well most of them - easily identifiable."

Kate stepped back shaking her head. "I don't think I want to know about the ones that aren't." Her cell phone rang. She put it on speaker.

"Yo!" came the unmistakable greeting of Javier Esposito. "We've been tracking down our cyber-guy, Bill Garrett. He closed down the furniture refinishing business he had and went to work for a non-profit raising funds to prevent cyber-bullying. Travels all over the place. Visits lots of schools. Ryan talked to him. They jawed for half an hour about computer stuff. Anyway, Garrett's fine. He said he hadn't heard much about Lane since he testified at his sentencing hearing. As far as he knows, Lane is still locked up."

Kate thanked Esposito and stuffed her phone in her pocket.

"You know," Castle offered, "Garrett really felt guilty he couldn't protect Lane and keep him from lashing out the way he did, even if Garrett was a target. That's probably why he's doing the work he's doing."

"More power to him," Kate agreed, "but we still need to hear from Jordan. Lane could be out there without Garrett knowing about it."

Castle shook out the sizzling contents of a wok onto two plates. "She'll probably get back to us by the time you finish eating your rattlesnake."

Kate dropped the chopsticks she was using to set places at the counter. "Castle!"

"Just kidding," Castle responded. "It's chicken - or at least it tastes just like chicken."

Kate's eyes narrowed as she picked up a small piece of spicy meat and delivered it gingerly to her mouth. "Castle, whatever it is, it's delicious."

Castle leaned over to plant a quick kiss on her hair. "Could I serve my wife anything less?"

While they shared a dessert of longans, small lychee-like fruits Castle had discovered in Garland's extensive and exotic pantry, Kate's cell emitted the distinctive ring tone she'd assigned to Jordan Shaw. Jordan's voice was devoid of it's usual calm. "Kate, Adam Lane's been lost."

"What do you mean lost?" Kate demanded.

"His lawyer won the fight to have him transferred to where he could receive psychiatric care, but he never got there. Personnel showed up to transport him, but he never arrived. To make it worse, no one knew he'd escaped. The records had been hacked so he wasn't even expected at the psych facility. He's been in the wind for months. We're starting a trace, but realistically he could be anywhere. I'm interviewing the staff who were supposed to be in charge of the transfer and our team is trying to backtrack how the system was hacked, but given how long he's been gone, that may not get us anywhere. I'm sorry."

"Did you find any connection between Lane and Vikram Singh?" Castle queried "or any connections to an intelligence agency?"

"No, nothing," Jordan replied, "but we're still looking. Kate, Castle, if Lane is your guy there's not much to go on, but even if he isn't, my people will be hunting for him. He is an escaped serial killer. That's what we do. I'll let you know if we come up with anything."

After Jordan ended the call, Kate slammed her palm painfully against the hard stone of the counter. "Damn! He's out there and we have no way to get to him."

Castle cradled her hand in both of his to keep her from doing further damage to herself. "Kate, Lane may be out there, but there's really no evidence he's behind what happened to us. You heard Jordan. She didn't find a connection to Vikram, and or any ties to spies. Lane's escape could just be one awful cluster fuck of a coincidence. We should keep going through those files. We need to keep looking."

Kate laid her forehead against his shoulder. "You're right, Castle. We do need to keep looking. If nothing else, it will keep me from going crazy while we wait to hear something more from Jordan or Rachel." She picked up her dessert bowl. "Let's clean this up and get back to the Batcave."


	6. Chapter 6

A Hole for Two

Chapter 6

"If your face freezes like that people are going to think I'm married to a Shar-Pei," Castle noted, regarding the deep lines marring Kate's forehead. "Whose file is that?"

"Russell Ganz. He had quite a network Castle. He assassinated people and sold arms all over the world. Even behind bars he could have put out the word on me. I should have killed him when I had the chance. Mike Royce would probably rest easier."

"Mike would do nothing of the sort," Castle argued. "You had Ganz down. There were a ton of cops there, L.A. cops who didn't know Mike and didn't care about you. If you'd taken Ganz out, you'd be behind bars and Mike wouldn't have liked that at all. In his own way I think he loved you as much as you loved him." Castle tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "How could he not?"

Kate nodded grudgingly. "Maybe. But I still want to run a check on Ganz's operation, see what they're up to. Maybe the arms deals are where the spy connections come in."

"It's possible," Castle conceded. "If he was a back door supplier for people our government couldn't supply openly and putting him away cut off the flow of munitions, there could be some cloak and dagger types pissed off at you. That might be where Rita, whoever she is, comes in. I wish we'd get something from my father. I should check the comments on my website." Castle flipped open his laptop. "Mm, Castlecrazed, Castlelover1952, CastleGeek2009, oh, here we go, Papajack. 'I remember our chance meeting. Love to meet my favorite writer again.' I bet he means the main public library downtown. The first time I met him, Mother took me there in the late afternoon, around four, before she dropped me off with one of her soap opera addicts and went to the theater. We were in the fiction section. The library was the last place I saw him too, when he took out Gemini. That has to be it." Castle consulted the time on his screen. "We can make it there in plenty of time if we leave now."

* * *

Castle gave one of the stone lions an affectionate pat before he and Kate took the steps to the impressive building that had so often been his refuge. He consulted his watch. "We have at least fifteen minutes, maybe more. It's hard to remember exact timing from when I was ten."

Kate squeezed his hand. "I'm amazed you remember it at all. I hardly remember anything from that age, certainly not in that kind of detail."

"Yeah, well it's a blessing and a curse," Castle replied. "Being able to rerun experiences in my head when I'm writing is definitely a plus. Seeing the look on your face when I recount my experiences, not always so much. And Espo can really get mean. He grabbed the last bacon brownie once when he thought I was going on too long. Ruined my whole afternoon."

"Castle, Espo's never been known for his patience, except maybe for lining up a shot, but I can try to cut down on the looks. The database of trivia you carry around in your brain has solved more than one case. And sometimes it's kind of cute." The New Yorkers climbing the steps around them were studiedly oblivious when Kate reached back to grab Castle's well shaped behind.

Castle made his way through the stacks. "'F' for Fleming, if he shows up it should be here. You want to make out until he arrives?" Castle heard the sound of a throat being cleared, behind him. He turned to see the tall white haired figure. "You came."

Jackson Hunt pulled a miniature scanner out of his pocket to check for listening devices and squinted at the screen for long moments before speaking. "We're clear." He smiled at Kate before turning sternly to Castle. "Son, this better be important."

"Dad, some people came after Kate," Castle began.

"I'm aware of that, Richard," Hunt interrupted. "I keep track of things. I heard they were taken out. What do you need from me?"

Kate took over the conversation. "The thing is, it isn't over. There was an operative planted to watch me and I met a woman who called herself Rita and claimed to be married to you. She referred to you as Jackson Hunt and said she hadn't seen you in ten months."

Hunt snorted and turned toward Castle. "I've never been married to anyone. I can't. No ties. Son you should know that better than anyone after what happened to Alexis." He turned back to Kate. "Describe her."

Kate closed her eyes to look at her mental image."Caucasian, pretty, five ten, early fifties, wide mouth, crescent eyes, longish nose, looked like a member of the Cusack family."

Hunt nodded. "I know her. Her name is Charlotte Long. She's an independent contractor. She's done domestic work where the CIA couldn't have any official presence. She's loyal to whomever pays her for a job, at least until the job is done, but she's not choosy about her clients. This operative, tall Pakistani in his early thirties, speaks unaccented English, heavy duty computer skills?"

"That's him," Castle confirmed, "you just left out slimy. Oh, and he's dead. He was shot in FBI custody."

"No loss," Hunt commented, "except maybe to Charlotte. He was her best boy. Was he calling himself Vikram Singh?"

"That's not what I wanted to call him but yes," Castle acknowledged.

"Yeah, that was the Indian identity he set up. He was born Ahmed Faqir, but a name like that won't get you in many places these days, especially in this country."

"Sounds appropriate though," Castle quipped.

"So if Charlotte Long is an independent, who has she been working for lately?" Kate broke in.

"No CIA mission that I know of," Hunt responded, "but I haven't heard about her working for the other side either. It sounds like some kind of rogue operation. I'll tell you one thing. Whoever hired her had to bring money, lots of it."

"How much?" Castle asked.

"Upwards from ten million," Hunt answered. "Way upwards if she hired her own mercs. Kate, if someone sent Rita after you, they're willing to put out big time to indulge their grudge. Be careful. If I hear anything, I'll get a message to you."

Castle put a hand on his father's arm. "Thanks Dad."

Hunt shrugged. "Son, as little of a father as I've been, you, Alexis, Martha, Kate, you're still family. Take care." Hunt's long strides quickly took him out of sight.

Castle wrapped his arms around Kate. "Someone really wanted to hurt you, us, a lot to spend that kind of money."

Kate pulled back with a smile. "But Castle, knowing how much money it would take gives us a tool. We have to look at all our suspects for access to that kind of money and the trail it will leave. Then we'll have something to follow. Rachel's team should be able to help us. Richmond is a wizard at this kind of thing. But, she's going to want to know where we got our information."

Castle smiled wryly at the memory of how fiercely Rachel had guarded information from him. "Turn about is fair play, and in this case, the truth. We tell her it's classified."


	7. Chapter 7

A Hole for Two

Chapter 7

"Richmond found something," Kate reported excitedly, putting her cell phone on speaker.

Castle knew the tech's voice well. Richmond had contributed heavily to developing the information that saved Castle's life after Castle was poisoned stumbling into one of Kate's A.G. Task Force cases. "There's been a subcommittee from Senate Intelligence trying to crack down on unexplained flows of cash," Richmond explained. "It's an outgrowth of an investigation into all the lost funds in Iraq. They found a recent stream of funds from the CIA flowing to a Swiss bank account. That bank account has been tied to Charlotte Long."

"How much money?" Castle asked.

"About twenty million, maybe more," Richmond replied.

"Who's been sending it?" Kate queried.

"That's the problem," Richmond explained. "The shadow account that disperses the funds is accessible by an authorization code, but the one that was used to send the funds to Charlotte Long was stolen. It belonged to a senior agent who didn't even know it was being used."

"How could that happen?" Castle wondered.

"The agent was sent Afghanistan to run covert operations. There was so much monitoring going on there by Al Qaeda, the Russians, the Taliban, the Pakistanis, that he had to practically work out of a cave. He also had to get his funds from more local sources. His connections to U.S. accounts were limited. He wouldn't have seen the transfers. It still would have taken some real skills to steal the authorization code, even more than stealing the emergency code that Vikram Singh used. Whoever the hacker is, he's very good, but he has to have some kind of a signature. I'm still working on tying it down."

"You might try comparing it to methods used by Adam Lane, the Netslayer," Castle suggested. "He's at large, whereabouts unknown, but his activities have been well documented."

"Alright," Richmond agreed. "Right now we'll look at any possibilities. I'll keep you updated."

"Thanks Richmond," Kate responded, ending the call. She laid her phone thoughtfully back on the table amid their pile of files. "Castle, you really think someone in the CIA is using Adam Lane?"

"I don't know," Castle admitted, "but it would explain how he's staying hidden so well. The CIA does excel in that area. Maybe it's a quid pro quo. Whoever keeps him hidden is doing so in return for his services. If Jordan is making any progress in finding him, maybe she's got something that will put us on the right trail."

It might help her if we make the suggestion that Adam could be getting some professional help in staying lost," Kate considered.

"If he had gotten professional help a few years ago none of this might have happened," Castle observed, "but we should give Jordan a call. We still don't know who in the FBI is responsible for shooting Ahmed Faqir a.k.a. Vikram Singh. Maybe it would be better to talk to her here, away from molish eyes and ears."

"If there is a mole, he could be watching her," Kate pointed out. "We don't want him to find this place. Maybe it would be better to meet on neutral ground somewhere, preferably someplace public."

"How about Remy's?" Castle suggested. "I could really use one of their cheeseburgers. The place is always packed. Nothing's going to happen there."

Kate circled her lips with the tip of her tongue. "And I could really go for one of their strawberry shakes. Let's see what we can set up."

* * *

Castle never tired of watching Kate sucking a thick shake through one of Remy's extra wide straws, although it did give him an itch to indulge in other activities. He settled for a large bite of his double cheeseburger while Jordan crunched a crisp French fry. Jordan dabbed at the salt on her lips with a paper napkin before speaking. "I'm not sure I buy your theory that Adam Lane is a tool of the CIA, Rick, although I agree he's a tool. But if he is in communication with them, or has been, there should have been some sign of it before he escaped. We can go back and re-check all the records at the prison. Visitors and phone calls would all be logged and internet use monitored. Our previous examination wasn't looking for agency connections, just criminal ones."

"If he communicated with the CIA it would have had to be in some kind of code," Castle asserted. "Remember how Adam Lane used the pictures from the web to reveal who he was going to kill? There could be messages inside messages."

"Castle was the one who figured out what Adam's images meant," Kate offered. "Would it be possible for us to have a look at whatever communications Adam made from prison? Can we meet here again tomorrow?"

Jordan crunched another fry. "Much as I'd love to have these again tomorrow, I don't want to establish a pattern. Rick, where was that place where you got the incredible pizza you brought to the precinct?"

Castle nodded knowingly. "Stephano's. They make the most therapeutic, gloom chasing pizza in the metropolitan area. They're right over the bridge." Castle pulled out his cell. "I'll text you the address."

"Fine," Jordan agreed. "I'll let you know when I have everything in hand."

"You're restless, Kate," Castle observed as they drove back to Forest Hills.

"I just feel like everything is moving too slowly, Castle. Every time we get something, we have to stop and wait for someone to get back to us. It's just frustrating, that's all. If I was at the precinct I'd go punch the heavy bag or something. With everything on Garland's estate, he doesn't even have a chinning bar, let alone something I can really get my fists into."

"Garland's never been the physical type," Castle agreed. "Cannell, rest his soul, used to get on him about it all the time. But if you really want to hit something, I have an idea."

* * *

Fingers ready on the flipper buttons, Kate hunched over the flashing machine. "What are we playing for, Castle?"

"Honor?" Castle proposed. "Bragging rights for superiority on the battlefield of the silver ball?"

Kate bumped her hip against his. "How about clothing?"

Castle's eyes widened as his pants tightened. "Strip pinball? I married a genius! Then again, it takes one to know one. I'm in." He pulled off his belt and placed it on top of another nearby machine. "Ante up."

The pile of clothing grew as did Castle's need to manipulate something besides flippers. The final score flashed. "A tie?" Kate grumbled. "No one ever ties at pinball."

Castle pulled her against him. "Who cares? Obviously we both won." He leaned in for a kiss. "Time to collect our winnings."

As the adrenaline of the game faded, even in Castles arms, a naked Kate could feel the coolness of the underground game room. "Maybe we can collect upstairs - in bed."

Castle pulled away suddenly. "Race you!" He tried to block Kate as he ran for the stairs, but she ducked under his arm giggling, and beat him to the first step.

Arriving just inches ahead of Castle, Kate fell on the bed, still laughing. Castle lowered himself on top of her, stilling her chortles with a deep kiss. Not even a molecule of air separated them as skin met skin heated by both the chase and rising need. Castle devoured Kate even more enthusiastically than he had his cheeseburger, beginning at her jawline and working ever downward. Kate thrust her fingers into his hair, grasping the back of his head to guide him to the neediest spots. The floor began to creak beneath the macabre bower as Kate thrashed beneath Castle's attentions. She arched toward him as he reached her most urgent need, kicking the featherbed from beneath them. Castle pulled up, replacing his mouth with another, more penetrating, source of excitation. Their lips met as their bodies melded fully and the floor protested more loudly. Kate's fingers raked down Castle's back as wild desperation consumed her. The final explosion came as a shock, blowing them apart. Castle panted beside her. "Best pot ever!"


	8. Chapter 8

A Hole for Two

Chapter 8

The aromas of garlic, basil, and savory sausage reached Castle's nose before he ever pulled open the door of Stephano's. He and Kate were a little early and he'd noticed the lack of Jordan's blue sedan in the parking lot. The couple chose the booth most distant from the door and Castle perused a menu he had practically committed to memory. Creases appeared, bracketing his nose. "I forgot to ask Jordan what kind of pizza she likes. Maybe we should just order our drinks and an antipasto and wait."

They were on their second refills when Jordan finally arrived. "Sorry, there was a lot more from the prison about Lane than I thought and I had to put it on a hard drive for you. The prison contracted with one of those mail order catalog houses and they had him taking orders and entering them. All the calls were recorded but there were no transcripts made. It's a lot to listen to and it may not do you any good."

"Right now it can't do us any harm," Castle remarked, taking the drive and tucking into a large pocket of his leather jacket. "But we've been gazing voraciously at the orders coming out of the pizza oven. What would make your taste buds tingle?"

Jordan sniffed the air thoughtfully. "Fresh basil and sausage."

"I'll have to introduce you to my daughter sometime," Castle said, "you two are soul mates, at least in your taste in pizza." Castle signaled the server.

* * *

After returning to the Garland estate, Castle uploaded the hard drive to both his laptop and Kate's, so they could split the work. Kate examined the logs of Adam's activity while Castle took on the daunting task of listening to Adam's transactions with customers. After several hours, Castle threw down his headphones in frustration. "What's wrong Babe?" Kate asked.

"I can't get anything out of these, if there's anything to get," Castle explained. "Think about what Adam did before with the pictures and puzzles. He's a visual thinker. If there is a pattern, I need to put something in writing to see it." Castle grabbed a legal pad and a pen and began to listen again. A few hours later, realization painted itself on his face and he scribbled furiously.

I've got it, or at least some of it," he announced, pulling off his headphones again.

"What?" Kate queried, rubbing her eyes as she looked up from her screen.

"Adam is anti-social. He doesn't like talking to people, even on the phone. Most of these calls he handles like a robot, just asking for product codes, style numbers, that sort of thing. At first I thought there was something buried in all that data, but there isn't. There were just a few times Adam got engaged, and they were when he was asking about styles and colors, especially unusual ones like ochre. He was even making suggestions, something he didn't do on any of his other transactions. It's actually as simple as the puzzle he gave us with the expiration date and the sausages - spoiled brats. It's just first numbers and letters. Over the span of calls they start to form times, names, and places. That's how he hid after his escape. We have to get Jordan to backtrack the calls that gave Adam his instructions and check out his hidey holes. But there's a lot more to listen to."

"Good thing with all this gaming stuff Garland's got more sets of great earphones," Kate replied. "Four ears are better than two, even when they're as cute as yours."

"Aha!" Castle exclaimed. "I knew there was a reason you've never been able to keep your hands off them."

Kate tweaked his earlobe. "Just one more thing to hold onto, Castle. But we can explore that more later, after we get through the rest of these recordings."

* * *

Kate laid her earphones on the table and sprawled in her chair. "What time is it?"

Earphones blocking the sound of her voice, Castle read her lips and consulted his watch. "Four A.M.. Tired?"

"And starving! How long has it been since Stephano's?"

"About fifteen hours," Castle figured. "It's almost breakfast time. Pancakes?"

"Mm," Kate agreed. "Working with Jordan and you making pancakes. That brings back memories."

"Considering that those memories include you threatening to shoot me if I entered your bedroom, I think I'd rather make new ones," Castle responded. "Although when I rescued you from your burning apartment you were naked. That was my first view. I do remember that fondly."

"Castle, I told you not to look!" Kate rebuked him.

"I averted my eyes," Castle insisted. "I can't help it if I have great peripheral vision. Anyway I had no idea how much more there was to explore - and I'm still finding out. But I probably don't want to find out what you're like if I don't feed you, so Castle's extra special pancakes it will be."

* * *

Kate dipped a last fluffy forkful into warm maple syrup. "Castle how long have you been making these pancakes?"

"Special pancakes? I guess since Alexis was three and the toy store was out of the fairy wand she wanted. I had to reassure her we would find one someplace. And we finally did, in a mall in New Jersey. But there was a week of smiley face pancakes in-between."

"Is that why you learned to cook, for Alexis?" Kate wondered.

"I learned to cook because I wanted to eat something edible," Castle replied. "You know Mother, her art is at the theater not the stove. And most of the caretakers she was able to afford for me weren't much better. If they were connoisseurs of anything, it was usually in a bottle. Then when I was old enough to move out I was always broke - until I sold my first book - and making do with whatever was marked down at the supermarket was a lot cheaper than eating out. And I like cooking. It's a process a lot like writing. You put together the pieces and hopefully the whole is greater than the parts. You told me your mother was a great cook and you do make an outstanding meat sauce when you're in the mood. Where did that come from?"

"I was much more interested in working on my Harley than I was in working in the kitchen, even with my mom's great brunches," Kate recalled. "But my Nona, she felt the understanding of the enjoyment of food was essential to a good life. I stayed with her when my parents were on the road with cases, which was a lot in my early years. She made me stand beside her in the kitchen to learn. I think about the time I really started to notice boys, I noticed the blissful look on my grandfather's face after one of her meals. Then I really began to understand why she was teaching me and I paid attention. With the hours I had to work as a detective, and eating alone, I drifted more into delivery, take out, and the two minute nuke. I'm rusty, but I still remember a few things about creating bliss."

Castle leaned in to catch a sweet and sticky kiss. "You know more than a few things about creating bliss, in or out of the kitchen. It's still a little early to contact Jordan. We could catch some sleep - or we could explore your repertoire."

"Castle, how about if we do both," Kate proposed, "in reverse order."

Castle extended a more than willing hand.


	9. Chapter 9

A Hole for Two

Chapter 9

Kate stretched in the gigantic bed, a look of consternation on her face. Castle woke beside her and stared at the grim creases. "What happened to bliss?"

"I was just thinking about the logs," Kate explained. "I didn't find a single contact who appeared to be involved in setting up Adam's phone exchanges. Either I missed something or he was talking to another prisoner and it went undocumented."

"Certainly more than possible," Castle acknowledged. "Could have happened at meals, in the yard, probably a dozen places. It's not like Adam was in solitary. Or it could have been his lawyer or a clergy person. By law don't those conversations have to remain private?"

"With the clergy, it depends on whether it might be taken as a confession of some sort. If it's a brother-in-law who paid the thirty-nine ninety-five to the Church of Eternal Obscurity to pick up a couple of bucks performing marriages, probably not," Kate replied. "But anyway, there weren't any clergy on the logs. His lawyer is a possibility. He doesn't have to tell us anything, but we can have Richmond check his background for intelligence connections. But I'm thinking more of the other prisoners. We'd need to look at anyone with connections to intelligence, arm sales, or maybe even the military if they might have been involved in covert ops. That's probably hundreds of records. Jordan could run them through her magic machines but..."

"But if there is a mole, he could be tipped off by the activity," Castle finished. "Ryan and Esposito could get the prison records. The precinct pulled boxes of them before, when I tracked down Phillip Lee after Jerry Tyson set him up with Ryan's gun."

"Castle I don't want to lose another day with a drop ship," Kate objected.

"We could meet them somewhere, or at least Esposito." Castle suggested. "How about Dino Scarpella's strip joint? No one would think twice about Espo going there." Castle wiggled an eyebrow, "He loves seeing women on poles. And Dino owes me big time. His guys would make sure there weren't any prying eyes."

"That could work, Castle," Kate agreed. "We can call Jordan with what we've got so far on Adam's hiding places, get Richmond on the lawyer, and then arrange the meet with Espo."

Still short more than a few hours of sleep, Castle yawned. "Coffee first?"

Kate rubbed her eyes. "I think we'd better make them doubles."

* * *

Kate surveyed what little coverings the women in the Scarpella club wore. The last time she'd been there with Castle, the dancers had been anxiously offering Christmas joy in the way of very small patches of red velvet trimmed in white fur. This time they seemed to be looking forward to Thanksgiving in tiny strips of fringed leather with beaded headbands. "Looks like the patrons will be giving thanks," she commented.

"Or possibly beating on their tom-toms," Castle quipped. "Espo should be here any moment. He should appreciate this."

As if hearing his name, Javier Esposito strode in and quickly eyed the bounty of gyrating voluptuousness. "Espo, eyes up!" Kate called. "Over here. Have you got the files?"

Esposito glanced back longingly at the ersatz Native American maidens. "Oh I got'em alright. Barely fit in the trunk. Hope you've got room. C'mon Castle, let's see if there's actually any muscle under that fancy shirt of yours."

Kate joined the men, and the boxes were transferred quickly, with the last few shoved in the back seat of Castle's Buick. "You can get back to the precinct now, Espo," Kate said.

"Beckett, I was thinking I might check the place out, in case, you know, there's any criminal activity." Esposito offered.

"You can get back to the precinct now," Kate repeated sternly.

"Yes Captain," Esposito acceded, disappointment edging his voice.

Castle sent him a sympathetic look. "Sorry man, but I can have Dino set you up for the holiday extravaganza. It's always memorable."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Castle," Esposito assured him.

* * *

In the depths of the Surplice basement, Castle sucked on his finger. "That's my third paper cut," he groused.

Kate looked over his shoulder and kissed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry Babe, but you're making really good progress. I wish I could read as fast as you do."

Castle shook his hand out, wincing."I just wish I was getting more out of it. A lot of these guys love to play with guns but couldn't even spell Netslayer, let alone communicate with one. They're functionally illiterate. Adam Lane probably wouldn't even talk to them."

Kate sighed. "Yeah Castle, that's why a lot of cons end up in jail, they're unemployable. The prison system has been working on it, but in many cases they haven't gotten very far. I agree that you can eliminate anyone in that category. Bad as the situation is, it does pare down our suspect pool. Did you find anyone likely at all?"

"Maybe," Castle replied. "This guy, Walt Merkle, was in the military, a weapons expert. He received an 'other than honorable' discharge. There's no note as to why, but I can guess. He has several assault charges and he had multiple unlicensed weapons on him when he was picked up. There was a cache of weapons in his apartment too, grenades, uzis, and sniper rifles. The man is definitely into things that go bang. The most interesting thing is he had a large stash of cash, fresh one hundred dollar bills and not from any local bank. He refused to account for where he got it, so the cops assumed that it was illegally obtained and confiscated it, the way they usually do with drug money. Except there were no drugs on site and Merkle's drug screen was clean as a whistle."

"So weapons and large amounts of money, origins unknown. Sounds like a merc.," Kate mused.

"Just the sort of lovely folks I met when I was coming after you," Castle agreed. "He would fit in nicely with Charlotte's people."

"Castle, if the cash wasn't traceable, were the guns?" Kate queried.

"No." Castle could see the stiffening of Kate's body. "Were you thinking Ganz? Kate those guns could have come from anywhere. Ganz is - was - hardly the only illegal arms dealer."

"Yeah, but he's the only one I know of with a hate on for me. I'm going to go back over his file and see if I find a connection between him and Merkle."

I'll keep slashing my fingers on these files and see who else I can find," Castle responded.

Kate pressed a quick kiss to the tips of his fingers. "I always appreciate a good blood sacrifice."

"Oh, a thirsty goddess!" Castle declared. "I'll expect a show of beneficence later in return for my offering."

"Castle," Kate assured him, "I'll see what rewards for the faithful I can think up."

Castle grinned and opened another official folder.

A/N I'm told that people aren't getting updates. I post every day at around 7 A.M. EST. I also tweet the links for updates. My pen name on this site and my handle on twitter are the same.


	10. Chapter 10

A Hole for Two

Chapter 10

Kate closed the lid of her laptop harder than she needed to, causing Castle to look up from his files. "Had it for the night?" he asked.

Kate rolled her stiff shoulders. "Feels like I've had it period. I can't find any kind of connection between Merkle and Ganz."

"Maybe that's because there isn't one," Castle suggested gently. "Kate, your feelings about Ganz may have more to do with your guilt over Mike's death than they do they with this case. You've been a cop for well over a decade and I've been at your side for seven of those years. There have to be other people who have a hate on for you, or both of us, and might have been connected to Charlotte Long and/or Merkle somehow. Maybe there's a case we missed, that wasn't in the original piles, maybe under the name of a different cop? Or maybe there was one with Federal charges because there was another crime involved. Why don't we sleep on it?"

Kate stretched wearily. "You may be right, Castle. You've been working at least as hard as I have. We could both use some rest."

Castle stood up and crooked an elbow."Allow me to escort you to our cushy if unconventional sleeping quarters." Kate took the offered arm.

* * *

Kate sat up suddenly in the gloom of very early morning. "I know whose file wasn't there!"

Castle fought off the confusion that came with the sudden interruption of REM sleep. "What?"

"Castle, you remember when you and Martha were held hostage in that bank?"

"Remember it?" Castle returned. "The smile I got from you when you found me alive is one of the highlights of my life. What about the case?"

"It wouldn't have been filed under my name," Kate realized. "The guy who was officially in charge was that jerk Petersen, even though it led to our capture of Ron Brandt for murder. Ron Brandt had extensive unsavory connections overseas and he hired mercs to pull off that bank job. Castle, we kept Brandt from kidnapping his son. He has reason to hate us both. And we know he has a mind for revenge and doesn't care who he kills to get it."

"You're right," Castle agreed, "but didn't he get convicted of enough charges to send him away for at least a dozen lifetimes?"

"He did, Castle," Kate confirmed, "but his lawyer also was trying to negotiate with the Feds. Brandt supposedly had information on terrorist activities, because he sold them the guns to pursue them. He was trying to make some kind of a trade to get himself a deal in exchange for helping to take out a major Al Qaeda base. Once I heard about that, I didn't want to hear anymore. I couldn't stand to picture that piece of crap ever getting back on the street."

"What about Tanya and Connor, his wife and son?" Castle inquired anxiously. "If he was let out, they'd be in danger all over again."

Kate shook her head. "I don't know Castle. I do know that our people put Tanya in touch with an organization that helps abused women build new lives, so she and Connor may be safely settled somewhere. I can ask Ryan if there's a file under Petersen, but we probably wouldn't have access to anything the Feds did. Since terrorism may be involved, this is probably more Rachel and Richmond than it is Jordan, especially with the possibility of the mole at the FBI."

Castle reached for his watch on the nightstand and gazed at the glowing dial. "All of those people are going to be asleep for at least several more hours. Sleeping on the problem has brought you this insight. You could try for another one. Wait, did you hear that?"

Kate instinctively reached for her gun."There's someone in the house, someone who knows how to get past the security system. Castle, we need to be ready."

"Kate, if whoever it is was able to breech the security system, they may be as armed as you are, maybe more. We should hide," Castle urged."

"Castle, where? I think they'll know to look under the bed, unless Garland has a panic room you haven't told me about."

"No panic room, but a writer's retreat. He showed me once when I was still married to Gina and I was complaining about her getting on my case. He had it built in here. The staff was not allowed to disturb him unless the house was burning down and it's shielded from phone signals and wi-fi, so all he'd do is write."

Kate pulled out the Mag Lite she kept with her cell phone and her badge. "Show me."

"We do have to get under the bed," Castle told her. "That's where the hatch is. Garland wanted it there to make it as difficult and probably as weird as possible to get in."

Kate handed him her light, but kept her gun, and they slipped beneath the box spring. He felt along the wall under the backboard. "There's a catch here somewhere. Yeah, this is it." A section of the wall swung inward and they crawled through. Castle kicked it shut behind them and standing up, used Kate's light to find a switch that would provide better illumination. An overhead light revealed a small room with a large comfortable chair, a desk that would accommodate a laptop, a sink, a commode, and a plug-in twin sized air mattress with a blanket. A small refrigerator had been left empty and open with a microwave oven on top of it. The wall boasted shelves with one set of dishes and flatware, an array of non-perishable snacks, and a bottle of fifty-year-old scotch. There was also a vent from the climate control system and an intercom.

Kate gazed around. "Wow, Castle, a person could live in here."

"That was the idea," Castle responded, "but it was definitely not set up for two. When I was talking about joining you in your rabbit hole, this wasn't what I had in mind. Still it should keep us safe and if we put the intercom on receive, we should be able to tell when the coast is clear. Garland had two-way mikes put in most of the rooms so he could reach the staff if he needed them." Castle flipped a switch. They could hear whispers of conversation about finding the cop bitch and her idiot writer. "Definitely not friendly."

"Our files and our laptops are in the basement. At least they're not talking about finding those. That means they may not be sure we're here. I could stick my cell phone out the little door just long enough to call in reinforcements," Kate suggested.

"If you do that and the cops come, then they will know for sure we're here," Castle pointed out. "There might even be a shoot out and the cops might be on the bad end of it. Much as I love my wife, woman of deadly action, I think this time it might be best to huddle in our burrow and wait whoever these guys are, out."

Kate paced the tiny patch of floor. "Castle, cowering in here goes against almost every instinct I have, but you are probably right. We should wait and listen. Maybe they'll give something away about who they are and who sent them."

Castle sank down in the one chair and held up crossed fingers. "Let's hope."


	11. Chapter 11

A Hole for Two

Chapter 11

Voices came through the intercom in harsh mutterings."I think the boss got himself a #$% tip. Looks like there might have been people here sometime, but there ain't none here now."

"There's a car here," another voice rasped.

"So they changed cars. That writer bastard could afford it. Anyway, we get paid by the head. We don't take those two out, there's no payday. This is a bust."

"Castle," Kate whispered, "whoever sent them is a he, not Charlotte Long."

"The mole must be monitoring Jordan somehow," Castle concluded. "We've talked to her from here. Whoever it is passed the information onto whomever is running this thing."

Another, more authoritative voice added itself to the mix. "This could be worse than no payday. If we don't get those two, that crazy son of a bitch could take us out. They might have been picked up for a meet. They could be back. I say reset the alarm outside so they don't get tipped off, and wait."

Kate ran a nervous hand through her hair. "Castle, they're not leaving. I should have called."

"If you'd done that," Castle argued, "we wouldn't know as much as we do. We don't know what will happen if you call Jordan."

"No one's watching the boys," Kate surmised. "If they were, these guys would have been looking for files. I can call Espo. He could get this place staked out. His people could grab those guys when they leave. It's just this room that's shielded, right? I write a text, stick the phone out the door just far enough to pick up some bars and send it. There's no way our visitors downstairs will know. Then as long as they're here, we can monitor what they're saying."

Castle nodded his agreement. When Kate had crafted her message, he followed her to the tiny exit from their hiding place. While she knelt on the floor, he released the latch and held it open far enough for her to stick out her phone. "Have any bars?" he asked."

"A couple," Kate answered, pushing send. "Looks like it transmitted."

Castle took a second to enjoy watching her back up out of the doorway before making sure the door was secured again. "We might as well get comfortable," he suggested. He flipped the switch to firm up the air mattress. "It is the perfect size for snuggling and we'll be able to hear the intercom. We can record what we hear on our phones, too. We don't need a signal for that." He laid down on the cushioned surface and opened his arms as an invitation. "Not that I'd expect anything else from Garly, but this really is very nice."

Kate joined him, spooning into his body. Time ticked by slowly, punctuated by occasional complaints by the uninvited occupiers of the house. Kate moved restlessly in Castle's arms, wishing either that something would happen or that she dared to sleep. She looked at her phone to check the time. "Castle, it's been hours. I need to know what's happening. "If Espo got my message and is set up, he would be texting me updates, even if he knows I might not see them. I want to stick my phone out again." Rising carefully from their inflatable resting place, they repeated the earlier process. Kate's screen filled with messages, the last one only a few minutes old. Pulling back enough to type a quick acknowledgment, Kate sent it and returned to their hiding place. "Castle, Espo is outside with a squad. They have scopes on the house. He says there's a black van in the driveway. That must be what our visitors arrived in. He can wait them out, but he'll make a move if we call him in."

"Let's give it time," Castle counseled. "The way those guys have been griping about sitting around and waiting, they may decide to leave. Then Espo's guys can grab them."

"I'm going to have a go signal ready and the moment it sounds like these guys are leaving, I'll send it." Kate decided. "That will let Espo get in position. I just hope they get frustrated enough with waiting for us, to leave soon."

* * *

"This is bullshit," one of the invaders declared. "If they went to some kind of secret meet they would have been back before sun-up. It's almost noon. They could be back in a week for all we know, if they were ever here."

The more authoritative voice sounded again. "Just sit tight for another minute and I'll call Brandt. If he okays our moving out, at least he won't have us shot or blown up for it."

Kate turned toward Castle excitedly. "Did you hear that? Brandt! I was right! That was worth waiting for."

"Shh," Castle cautioned. "He's calling. Maybe we can pick up something else." They both strained to hear, but the sounds from the other end of the leader's cell phone were inaudible except for their angry tone.

Alright," the leader announced, "we're moving out. Too bad for the lady pulling Brandt's strings. When he gets that pissed off, people bleed."

Kate opened the hatch to signal Esposito. She and Castle could hear multiple footsteps moving to exit the house. They crawled out of their hiding place, carefully making their way downstairs. They made it to where they could see out of the house just in time to see Esposito and his people move in. Brandt's men tried to get off some fire, but they were captured before any cops could fall.

Kate ran outside with Castle at her heels. She embraced Esposito. "I am so glad to see you. While we were listening to these jerks we found out who the psychopath is that hired them. And we have a pretty good clue as to who he works for too."

* * *

Castle had a feeling of homecoming as he sat with Kate at the table in interrogation across from Comy Nasco, the leader of Brandt's hired guns. Nasco looked at them in stunned disbelief. "Where were you? We checked the whole house. There was no sign of you!"

"Dimensional warp," Castle explained a sincerely as he could. "It's in the third book of Garland Surplice's Tonal Travelers series. There might even be a copy in the prison library."

"What prison?" Nasco asked, crossing his arms defiantly. "We didn't hurt anyone and we didn't take anything. The most you'd have us on is trespassing. You want to book us on a misdemeanor, we'll post bail and be on our way."

"You're forgetting breaking and entering and conspiracy to commit murder," Kate pointed out. She pulled out her phone and played back conversation she'd recorded through the intercom. "I imagine that a good lawyer might still be able to get bail, but where are you going to go where Ron Brandt can't find you? I've seen the body parts of people who worked for him, even when they were successful. Just imagine what he'd do to you and your men for getting caught and implicating him. You tell me everything you know and I can protect you. You get out and unless you've got a dimensional warp of your own, your lifespans will be severely limited."

Nasco slammed a hand on the table. "Shit! I should have never let Brandt drag me into this. I knew he was trouble. But he's not a person you can say no to. What do you want to know?"

"First," Kate instructed, "Tell us about the woman you mentioned,"


	12. Chapter 12

A Hole for Two

Chapter 12

"What woman?" Nasco asked.

Kate pressed her lips together impatiently. "The woman you said was pulling Brandt's strings, the one you felt sorry for. Obviously she instigated your mission. Who is she?"

Nasco shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I saw her once. She was giving Brandt some kind of briefing when I met him for the instructions on our last job. She left as soon as I got there. He just called her Rita."

Kate and Castle looked at each other. "What did this Rita look like?" Kate pressed.

Nasco gave a description that matched the woman Kate had met. Charlotte Long had definitely hired Brandt.

"Did you hear or see anything else about her?" Castle prodded. "Did she have a car? Did she mention anyone else?"

"I saw a green Fusion," Nasco replied. "I don't know if it was hers. But I did hear her say something to Brandt about the FBI not seeing what was right under their nose. She seemed to think that was kind of funny."

Kate pushed a pad and pen toward Nasco. "Alright. I need you to write down the when, where, and how of every time time you saw or communicated with Brandt. Then we'll go over every word."

Kate left L.T. guarding Nasco as she and Castle went to her office. They sat side by side on the couch, keeping their voices low. Kate leaned in toward Castle. "We need to let Jordan know what Charlotte Long said. But if whoever is watching her is right under the FBI's nose, he could be around all the time. He could have hacked into the computers, the cell phones, anything. How do we contact her?"

"How about kicking it old school?" Castle suggested. "Pen and paper and the U.S. Post Office. Make it look like a card or something so she won't toss it as junk mail, and send it to her house, not the F.B.I.."

Kate's brow furrowed. "Except I don't know where she lives."

"She has a car and a drivers license," Castle reminded her. "The DMV will."

DMV records revealed a house in New Rochelle, just north of New York City. Accompanied by a uniformed officer for safety, Castle made a quick trip to the nearest stationary store, picking out a merry looking Halloween card with a bright orange envelope. He brought it back to the precinct where he and Kate puzzled over a message. "What if we ask her to call us on a burner phone?" Kate wondered.

"If the mole is intercepting signals, the call still might be picked up," Castle pointed out. "We can't risk a face to face either. She might be followed or someone might be monitoring the GPS on her car."

"Mm," Kate agreed. "We need somewhere she can walk where there's too much open space for anyone watching her to hide."

Castle bounced up from the couch. "Let's go to Tech. I have an idea."

Closing the door of the Tech room behind them, Castle brought up a Google map of New Rochelle and centered it on Jordan Shaw's home. The corners of his mouth took a rapid turn upward as crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. "I thought so! Jordan has a little girl. She and her husband would pick a place to live the way I would, near a park where her daughter could play." Castle pointed at the screen. "Look, this one is less than a five minute walk from her house, even on little girl legs. And see all the green? We could easily meet in the middle of that where, even with a parabolic mike, no one could get close enough to eavesdrop without our seeing them."

Kate bumped against him affectionately. "Castle I think your work as a P.I. Is really paying off."

"i think my accountant might disagree," Castle answered wryly. "But if it helps to take down whomever is after is after us, it's worth it. If we mail the card today, Jordan should get it tomorrow. We can ask for a meeting the next day. How about if we use her partner Avery's place as a back address. She'll be sure to open that. We can get him off the DMV too.

"That's a good idea Castle, but that gives us two days to wait. We can stay in touch with Rachel and Richmond. They may come up with something in the meantime, but where are we going to stay? Garland's estate is blown and we got everything out of there anyway. Too many people know about the loft and the house in the Hamptons and your office is on your website."

Castle cupped her face in his hand. "Where were you planning to stay when you tried to leave me?"

Kate's voice trembled as she answered. "I hadn't planned that far ahead. I didn't dare go near my family. I was going to find an SRO or one of those hotels I could check into as Scarlett O'Hara."

Castle drew her close and kissed her hair."I'm glad you didn't. But," he continued, "there are better ways of hiding out in hotels. I have a little experience with this. Celebrities do it all the time. The hotel registers you under a phony name - although they use your real credit card. Then they'll only release your room number or put calls through to someone who has a code. There are floors you can only access with a room key. The Baron Tower is very good at that sort of thing because of all the security protecting Baron's beauty queens. I imagine Victor Baron may have more than a few guests that he wants to keep under wraps too."

"Or unwrap," Kate suggested. "Baron does owe us for keeping his little escapade with a murdered beauty queen out of the media. Okay Castle, the Baron Tower it is."

* * *

Kate gazed around the suite on the restricted floor. Castle had conveyed the apologies of the hotel that there was a major movie shooting in town and the other restricted rooms were taken by A-listers. She and Castle were staying in the last one available, but Kate could find nothing to complain about. The staff member who had brought them up had pointed out the special amenities. The wi fi system had extra security. There was a special concierge to handle requests for any services they might need. The mini-bar was fully stocked and there was a refrigerator and a microwave. There was also a sixty inch TV attached to both satellite and a gaming system. Castle mourned the absence of a Jacuzzi, but the tub was over-sized, as was the shower which contained several spa attachments. Castle flipped enthusiastically through the leather bound room service menu.

Kate was surprised to be suddenly overtaken by a yawn until she realized that between the time spent in hiding and the time grilling Comy Nasco and processing his raiding party, it had been at least sixteen tense hours since she'd had a moment of down time. The sight of a comfortable and conventional bed had given her a sudden and deep awareness of her exhaustion. "Hey Castle, I know we haven't eaten anything since the snacks in Garland's burrow, but I just need to close my eyes for a couple of minutes okay?" Not bothering to pull back the spread or move the decorative bolsters, Kate crawled onto the bed and was instantly asleep. Looking up from the listings of exquisite cuisine and even more exquisite prices, Castle grabbed one of the extra blankets from the wardrobe, climbed up beside her, and covered them both.


	13. Chapter 13

A Hole for Two

Chapter 13

Kate could have sworn that it had only been a few minutes before her cell phone, still in her pocket, rang. The time on screen read 6:00 A.M., and the call was from the A.G.'s Task Force. "Kate," Rachel began without taking time for a greeting, "we have something big. Richmond is with me."

"The tech continued the conversation. "We found Adam Lane's signature. There's a line of code he sticks into all his programs like a comment. He doesn't need it. It's almost like a tease. We found it in the hack of our emergency codes and traced it back to the FBI office in New York."

Rachel picked up again. "We don't know who's involved there, but you need to be very careful. We're getting an agent transferred in there to check things out quietly. You remember Hendricks? But it's going to take a while, so watch your back."

"I will Rachel," Kate assured her, chewing her lip. Kate could feel Castle moving beside her. "Did you hear that?"

"I got the gist of it," Castle replied, scrubbing a hand over his eyes. "It's confirmed that we have a mole at the FBI here and they're working with Adam Lane somehow. The question is, how does all this tie to Charlotte Long and whomever she's working for?"

Kate shook her head. "I don't know Castle. I'm not sure I'm even awake yet."

"Look," Castle proposed, "I'll get the hotel to send up a pot of coffee and let's get cleaned up. Then maybe we can think straight."

"I do get some of my best ideas in the shower," Kate mused. Castle smiled wickedly and she punched his shoulder. "Not those ideas, I mean about cases. Well maybe those ideas too, but later." Kate got up and began to rifle through the suitcase she'd had at the Surplice estate. "Damn!"

"What's wrong?" Castle asked.

"I'm out of clean underwear. I was going to do a quick load of laundry at Garland's place the morning we got invaded."

"And here I thought you enjoyed going commando," Castle teased. "There's an extremely lovely boutique downstairs. I can have some things I'll want to take off of you later, sent up with the coffee."

Kate's eyes narrowed. "Castle, you're way too good at this."

"You were aware of my tawdry past when you married me," Castle reminded her. "And I'm still learning about yours."

"I'll give you that," Kate agreed. "But get me coffee!"

"Yes dear," Castle replied meekly, reaching for the hotel phone.

* * *

Kate toweled the moisture from her hair and Castle handed her a third cup of dark brew. Feeling better?" he asked.

"Mm," she nodded, inhaling the rich vapors. "And I did get an idea. Remember we picked Merkle as a likely contact for Adam Lane because of his military background, but I couldn't find any connection to Ganz. Maybe I was looking at the wrong arms dealer.. We should look for a connection of Merkle, or any other prisoner, to Brandt. From what we got from Nasco, Brandt and Charlotte Long may have been doing business for a while and your father said she hires mercs. Maybe Brandt helped her with Adam. He knew all the tricks of the trade of pulling a disappearing act and establishing a new identity."

"You're right," Castle agreed. "I'm glad we brought all the files with us, but I have another idea. You remember Jimmy the Rat?"

"Of course, Castle. When we talked to him we almost got Sorensen killed."

"Forgive me if I don't get too weepy over that. I still have a mental picture of the two of you locking lips," Castle confessed. "But here's my point. Jimmy the Rat had his appearance changed so he could hide from the Spillano family. Adam Lane was out of sight for a long time. What if he had his appearance changed too? Charlotte or Brandt could have arranged that for him. Adam could have hacked the fingerprint and DNA databases to have those changed too. He could be anyone anywhere and no one would be the wiser."

Lines bracketed the bridge of Kate's nose. "Castle, if that's true, it wouldn't be good news. We'd never be able to find him."

"But Kate, we would," Castle insisted. "His ego is still getting the best of him. The one thing we know is he hasn't changed is his signature. And it showed up in the code from our FBI office. Kate, what if Adam Lane is the mole?"

Kate sighed. "Castle, that's quite a reach, even for you."

"There's one way we can find out," Castle asserted. "His height wouldn't have changed, neither would his basic body type. And he's a computer nerd. If he's there, he'd be working in tech. We get Jordan to check out anyone like that, maybe steal a coffee cup or a water bottle. Or if Hendricks gets there, he could try to get something too. The evidence in Adam's case is still in storage. There has to be something with his DNA and fingerprints on it. We run a new match. Or we could even jump the gun, go through the evidence today and find fingerprints and DNA for Lanie to run. If they don't match what's on file, we have smoking gun."

"Alright Castle," Kate agreed. "It's something we can do until our meeting with Jordan tomorrow besides going through files. Lanie may not be able to run the DNA before we see Jordan, but we can get the prints."

Castle's stomach rumbled and Kate's answered in harmony. "Breakfast first?" Castle suggested. "It has been over twenty-four hours with nothing but coffee and adrenaline. And we can do a lot better here than the stale donuts and vending machines in the break room." Castle picked up the menu from the desk and handed it to her. "What do you think?"

Kate scanned the fancy calligraphy on the parchment pages. "I think I want waffles - and steak."

* * *

Carefully gloved, the Castles searched through the evidence boxes. Castle lifted out wires and electronics in plastic bags. These are the components Adam Lane used to make the electrocution devices he had strapped to Oren and Kent Wilder. They could have his fingerprints and DNA all over them. There was no reason to check before. He confessed."

"That's good, Castle, and we have the camera equipment he used to stream the video too," Kate added. "It should be enough. We just need to get it all to CSU. They can work with Lanie."

"So," Castle inquired as he and Kate left the crime lab, "now what?"

"What, is that I have a precinct to run," Kate responded "and I have days of paperwork on my desk. Until we get some results from the lab and meet Jordan tomorrow, I need to catch up. But I know how you hate that stuff. You don't have to stay with me. You could go back to the hotel and work on the files."

"Not on your life!" Castle returned. "Right now finding a Brandt or Long connection to Lane isn't critical, although it would be nice. I can work on it when you're done at the precinct. But whenever I leave you for very long, that's when we get into trouble. Until this is over, if you're at the precinct, I'm at the precinct, even if I'm just fetching you coffee."

Kate snuggled into his shoulder. "At least I know I'll be getting the world's best coffee."

Putting an arm around her waist, Castle drew Kate to his side. "For the world's best wife."


	14. Chapter 14

A Hole for Two

Chapter 14

Kate filed her last stack of papers and took the last, now cool, swig from her mug. "Ready to go?" Castle asked.

Kate unconsciously pushed back her hair. "An understatement. I have new respect for Montgomery and Gates getting through this every day."

"Well you were playing catch up and it's not like you didn't have other things on your mind," Castle reminded her. "I could call ahead for dinner and get them to let a bottle of wine breathe for us."

"That would be great, Castle," Kate agreed wearily, pulling herself from her chair. Castle held her light October jacket at ready for her arms, then offered his. They changed cabs three times to avoid being trailed from the precinct. Castle used part of the time they rode, to call their concierge.

They arrived in their suite to a fully loaded serving cart, placed strategically near a table which had been covered with a white cloth, china, flatware, and crystal wine glasses. A bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape stood uncorked and ready to pour.

Castle pulled out a chair for Kate. She regarded the table. "You know Castle, as hideouts go, this isn't half bad."

"Not as cozy as Garland's retreat, but all right," Castle agreed. "You know Kate, aside from those few glorious dusty days at the dude ranch, we never did have a honeymoon."

Kate regarded the boxes of files near the desk. "Castle, this is a nice place, but it's hardly the time. You think maybe we could pick one when we don't have mad killers after us?"

Castle nodded. "Point taken. But we still had time for each other at Garland's estate. There's no reason we can't take some here, especially with the things the boutique sent up this morning. I was looking forward to savoring their removal."

Kate gazed again at the boxes and back to the hopeful look on Castle's face. "Tell you what. We can finish this incredible dinner and take our wine for another look through those files, then we'll see what develops."

* * *

Castle scanned through the pile of files of prisoners with military connections one more time. "There's no reason to rule any of these out, but there's no cause to rule them in either. There are no known associations linking them to Brandt or Long. Of course there's no reason to believe something like that would make it into a file anyway. Maybe we should attack this from another angle."

Kate rubbed her fingers, dry from a day handling paper. "What angle, Castle?"

"It might not be a prisoner at all. It could be a guard. We've seen one go sideways before: that guard Riker who transferred Lockwood for Bracken and got killed for his trouble. But you know what? If we can nail Adam as the mole, we won't have to look anymore. You can get it out of him. Before, you managed to get him talking enough to save the Wilder brothers. And you wouldn't be working with a ticking clock this time. You could break him and get the whole story."

"Nailing Adam Lane as the mole is a huge if, Castle, but you may have a point. We aren't going to get any further with these files."

"Then maybe," Castle suggested, "we've reached the time for something else to develop."

Kate switched off the desk lamp and overhead lights. "And what better place than a dark room?"

A bedside lamp still glowed with enough light to allow Castle to lead Kate to the sumptuous bed. Together they rid it of the bolsters, and folded back the opulent spread. Kate reached for the last light but Castle caught her hand. "I want to see you." He laid her down on a satiny sheet and smoothed her hair from her face. "Beautiful." Slowly they undressed each other until only a morning's purchase remained. Castle stroked the silk and lace before gently easing it down, kissing what lay beneath as he went. Kate gasped, reaching for him, her fingertips buried in his hair. "Tell me what you want," he whispered, his breath warm against her mounting need.

The words seemed to come from the bottom of her being. "You, Rick. I want you. All of you."

Castle fell to the bed, pulling her on top of him. Their lips met as she ground against him, her breasts flattened against his chest. Their tongues reached, twining, pulling back, and reaching again. Kate could feel the need spreading though her, until it could no longer be borne. She reached for him, stroking the length of his heat and guiding it to her depths. Her hands splayed over his broad back as they came together, again and again. There was no bed, no luxurious suite, nothing but the two of them moving in a private world. Kate knew the sensation that had never been given a name, perhaps because it was beyond description. It coursed through her as the summit neared. She tightened around Castle, hearing the forced exhalation of breath. Her release matched his, almost to the millisecond, and for moments all they could do was breathe.

* * *

The alarm on Kate's phone went off before the morning sun leaked into the room. Castle turned to her for a kiss. "Good morning."

"No way it's going to match last night," Kate purred, before returning his attentions. "But we need to get ready. We need to get to New Rochelle to meet Jordan. I'll take the tub if you want the shower."

Castle stroked her bare skin. "I'd rather we took one of them together."

Kate put a finger to his lips. "If we do that, we'll never make the meeting."

* * *

The concierge easily arranged for a limo with tinted windows and a driver who asked no questions other than the Castles' destination. If anyone was looking for either Castle or Kate's vehicle, they wouldn't find it. The ride was smooth on heavy duty springs and the passengers were able to sip coffee and nibble on croissants along the way. The limo driver parked in a lot at the park and pulled out a Kindle to read while he waited for his charges to return.

Kate and Castle walked to the middle of a wide grassy expanse. Jordan Shaw joined them a few minutes later. "I liked the pumpkin pop-up. My daughter is going to use it as a Halloween decoration."

"I'm just glad you got our message," Kate told her. "I got a call from our lab on the way up here. Fingerprints we pulled from Adam Lane's equipment don't match the ones on file for him. We haven't gotten any DNA results yet, but it's pretty obvious the system has been hacked. Castle and I both believe that Adam Lane did it from within the FBI office. His appearance has probably been changed, but he's your mole."

Jordan gazed upward thoughtfully. "That would explain a lot. I take it you have a plan to prove it."

Kate explained what Castle had formulated, but left out any mention of Agent Hendricks, considering his possible arrival an ace in the hole.

"We're going to need some communication that's faster than the mail," Jordan mused. "I can get a burner to call you, and use it away from the FBI, but if I get a DNA sample from our alleged mole, I'll need someplace to leave it for you, some kind of a drop."

Castle looked at Kate. "I was thinking about that while I was on coffee fetching duty yesterday. I know the perfect place."

"Well don't keep us in suspense, Castle," Kate urged.

The mystery tour has one that they use, except there isn't another tour scheduled for three months. It's a place we'd probably all find too familiar, near the carousel in Central Park. There's a big metal box there, painted yellow. It has 'Control Systems' stenciled on it, but it's a phony. There aren't any controls. It's empty. You punch in a code to get it open: 221B."

Jordan laughed. "Sherlock Holmes' address."

Castle nodded, smiling. "Elementary my dear Jordan. You can call or text us when you've left something."

"Code word?" Jordan inquired, in the spirit of the exchange.

"How about Baker Street?" Kate suggested.

"Perfect!" Castle exclaimed.

"Fine," Jordan agreed. "Then I guess the game's afoot."


	15. Chapter 15

A Hole for Two

Chapter 15

Kate smiled at the heart floating on the vanilla latte Castle brought her, then looked up. He was standing there with words waiting just behind his lips. "What's on your mind, Castle?"

"With all the attention we've been giving to Charlotte Long and her boys Adam Lane and Ron Brandt, we haven't really gotten anywhere with who's holding Charlotte's leash. Until we find whomever that is, we're just nibbling around the edges of our problem."

Kate chewed on the knuckle of her forefinger. "You're right Castle. I was hoping that we could get to Charlotte's boss through her, but we haven't made any real progress with that. What did you have in mind?"

Castle dropped into a chair near Kate's desk and leaned toward her, resting his forearms on his thighs. He cleared his throat. "We're pretty sure that whoever is doing this is CIA. There's also a connection with the time you were with the A.G.'s Task Force. And it's obvious that you really pissed somebody off. I'm sure in the months you were in D.C. there were cases you couldn't tell me about. Can you tell me if any of them fit that description?"

Kate wrapped her hands around her warm mug while she thought."Secretary of Defense Reid was pretty furious with me for going after him, but I did save his wife from that toxin, when I saved you, so I don't see how he'd carry a grudge -certainly not to this extreme. And I don't think there's a case that fits that you don't know about."

"How about something I do know about?" Castle queried.

Kate gazed at him in confusion. "What?"

"The case that got you fired from the task force, the Charlie Reynolds murder. I'm immensely proud that you tipped off the press so the CIA lost all leverage over Svetlana Renkov and couldn't use her to bring down her family. It was the right thing to do. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad it brought you back to New York. But that CIA agent Ethan Wright, who wanted to run her, and whoever his boss is, couldn't have been too happy about it. There was probably fallout we have no idea about."

Kate nodded slowly. "You could be right Castle. The first thing we'll have to do to check that out is find out exactly where the word came from to fire me. Rachel might know, or Villante. That doesn't mean they'd tell us, but it's worth a shot to see if there's something there. I can give Rachel a call."

"You might be more convincing in person." Castle suggested. "It takes less than an hour to fly to DC and if we get a charter out of Teterboro we can skip all the TSA time. I have a guy. I can set it up. We could be out and back in a few hours."

Kate checked her in-basket and surveyed the reminders on her phone. "Castle, we just came back from New Rochelle. But I guess I'm pretty well caught up at the moment. Fortunately there aren't any meetings at 1PP today and I'm theoretically still on special assignment working with the FBI."

"Thanks to Jordan," Castle agreed. "So should I do it?"

"Do it." Kate confirmed.

* * *

The Castles presented themselves at the door of the headquarters of the A.G.'s Task Force. Even though Kate hadn't been there for a couple of years, the guard recognized her instantly. He put in a call to Rachel McCord who appeared after a few minutes with visitors' badges, to escort them into the building. They sat at the table in the conference room. "Kate, Rick, what are you doing here?"

"Rachel," Kate asked, "what happened with the CIA's investigation into the Renkov family? Who gave the word to terminate me from the task force?"

Rachel shook her head. "Kate, even if I knew, I couldn't tell you, and I certainly couldn't tell Rick. I think you know that. But really, there's nothing to tell. I don't know who wanted you fired. I just know someone made the call. The CIA lost Charlie Reynolds and once you broke their hold on Svetlana Renkov, I'm sure they pursued other avenues. I just have no idea what they are. Why? Is this about one of Rick's theories?"

Castle leaned across the table, pulling Rachel's gaze straight into his eyes. "Look Rachel, I know you've always thought that I've been a little out there, but you also have to admit that my theories are also sometimes right on the mark. So here it is." Rick laid out his thinking for her as he had for Kate.

Rachel pushed back her mass of black waves while she considered what he said. "It may not be off the mark. We heard rumblings of a shake-up in the CIA after the Charlie Reynolds murder. The buzz had it that one up and comer was stuck behind a desk looking out a window and was not happy about it. I don't know any of the details, but Villante might. You two stay put and I'll talk to him."

"You want to try a coffee?" Castle asked Kate, while Rachel was gone. "I seem to remember something not quite as bad as a monkey peeing in battery acid but more like the sludge I usually dump out of my pot."

"My memory matches yours. We didn't have a Rick Castle to make sure we had a drinkable supply." Kate wrinkled her nose and put up a hand to reject the nasty brew. "Anyway, I'm too wired to need the jolt. I'm just hoping Villante can help us."

The door opened, admitting the handsome Columbian director and a returning Rachel McCord. "Nice to see you again, Is it Captain Beckett now?" Kate nodded her acknowledgment. "And Mr. Castle, did you have to make me that Panamanian in _Wild Storm_? I was hoping for something more heroic."

"You were a pretty smart Panamanian," Castle pointed out. "Anyway, I'm writing another book. There's always room for heroism. Are you going to be our hero today?"

Villante shrugged. "I don't know that I can tell you much more than Rachel did. I can't give you any names you don't already know. I'm sure you understand that. But you remember Ethan Wright, the agent who was running Charlie Reynolds and tried to recruit Svetlana Renkov?" Castle and Kate both nodded. "From what I hear, the director of his section suffered a serious reversal of fortunes. He had been in charge of a hundred people and he fell to being in charge of one - himself. Before his demotion he would have had operations all over the globe and run many private contractors. It is possible that if he's taking some kind of revenge, he might be behind this whole mess, but that's all I can tell you. I will make inquiries, but I'm not sure how far I'll get. The CIA plays things very close to the vest and they don't like to discuss their embarrassments."

Kate extended a hand to shake. "Thank you, Director."

"Thank you," Villante responded. "You put us on the trail of Adam Lane. We don't take having our codes hacked lightly. And if he's involved in a much larger operation, especially one run out of the CIA, I need to know about it."

After being escorted out by Rachel, the Castles made their way back to their waiting charter. Kate took Castle's hand once they were airborne. "Babe, I feel like we're finally getting to the center of the web. I just wish Villante had been able to give us a name."

"So do I," Castle agreed. "But I think we both know who might be able to fill in that blank."


	16. Chapter 16

A Hole for Two

Chapter 16

From the safety of their room at Baron Tower, Castle typed the message for his website and pushed enter. "I hope my father is keeping an eye on this. Hell, I hope he's even in the country. With him we can never really know."

Kate started to respond but her phone chimed with a two word text, "Baker Street." She held it up for Castle to see. "Jordan must have something. Guess we're going to the park."

In the chill of the October air, whichever kids weren't confined to their classrooms weren't clamoring for a ride on the carousel either. The area around the drop seemed deserted, but Kate kept watch while Castle worked the combination, pulled out two plastic bags, and quickly slipped them into the voluminous pockets of his coat. "Motherload," he whispered, as he and Kate walked away from the faux control box. "Jordan left a coffee cup and a water bottle."

After dropping off the bags at CSU for prints and DNA, the Castles returned to Kate's office. She was determined to spend the evening catching up on whatever captain's duties had slid during their trip to D.C.. Already aware of the volume of emails, she wasn't surprised to find new stacks of paper as well. "Can I help?" Castle offered.

Kate's mouth dropped open. "You're actually offering to help me with paperwork?"

"I'm the one who dragged you out of here," Castle pointed out, "noble as my cause was."

Kate was not about to give him a chance to withdraw his offer. She handed him a stack of requisitions. "Look through these and see if there are any too ridiculous for me to sign."

Castle paged through the requests as Kate worked her way though her emails. His eyebrows rose. "I wonder why they'd need the fire extinguisher in the break room in robbery recharged?"

"Oh yeah," Kate recalled. "The lieutenant down there was telling me that Tom Demming was trying to impress that cop he's dating from vice. He tried to make Steak Diane in there and things got out of hand."

Castle attempted to cover his amusement with a sympathetic nod. "Too much brandy, too little red wine. It happens."

"Put a note on there, Castle," Kate instructed, "Tom gets docked for the cost of the recharge."

Castle grabbed a Post It® from a pad on Kate's desk. "My great pleasure."

With Castle's aid, Kate finished in time for the couple to return to the hotel for a very late dinner. Kate restlessly scanned the elegant pages of the room service menu. "Don't see anything that calls to you? I know there's some Steak Diane on there," Castle teased.

"I think we can dispense with the flames tonight, Castle, or at least that kind." She tugged suggestively at his collar.

Castle alternately wiggled his eyebrows. "Really? I'm not complaining, but what brought that on?"

There's something sexy about having you dig in, despite your boredom with my administrative duties. But I want to eat too, just not anything as pretentious as the listings on this menu. I'm more in the mood for something sloppy and saucy that I can get my teeth into, like ribs."

"The Barbecue Pit is just five blocks away and they're open bar hours," Castle offered.

The corners of Kate's mouth twitched. "Castle, sometimes I think you know every restaurant in the city."

Castle ran a fingertip down the front of her blouse. "I keep special track of the saucy ones. You want to walk over or shall I ask Dominic to get something sent in for us?"

"Let's walk over, Castle. I want to smell the smoke."

Large screens in the Barbecue Pit displayed a game being played live several time zones away and customers enthusiastically chomped on spicy fare while they watched. The Castles found a table away from the action and ordered a platter of ribs and barbecued chicken to share, as well as perfectly chilled micro-brews.

It was close to midnight when Kate snuggled into Castle's shoulder as they returned to their room at the hotel. "Still feeling saucy?" Castle asked.

Kate's eyes were half closed. Castle smiled knowingly, having seen a similar droopy look on Alexis right before he had to carry her to bed. He pulled off Kate's boots as she sat on the edge of the bed. She fell back against the spread. "Mm, just need a minute, Castle."

Castle toed out of his own shoes. It had been a very long day. He lay down beside her, and pulled her against the warmth of his body, burying his nose in the spicy aroma that still clung to her hair. "When you're ready, just stick an elbow in my ribs."

It was three A.M. when Castle felt the sharpness of of the bend of her arm. "Ready," she murmured.

The clothes they'd laid down in fell soundlessly to the suite's thick carpeting. A haze of drowsiness still engulfed them both, leaving Kate more cuddly than saucy. Castle moved slowly, feathering her with kisses, first whisper light, then more emphatic, until the mantle of sleep was held at bay. Still the loving was more a smolder than a fiery blaze. Their fingers explored gently as they lay pressed together, wrapped in their common warmth. Desire blossomed gradually, their meeting natural and easy, the motion slow but deep. The wave of fulfillment began subtly but grew, buffeting their bodies, then leaving them at rest, still in each others' arms.

The first streaks of color were floating against the sky over the hotel when a text dinged on Beckett's phone. "Castle," she reported excitedly, "the fingerprints from the cup and water bottle Jordan brought us match the ones we got off Adam Lane's equipment from evidence. The preliminary DNA markers do too. We've got him, Castle. There's zero doubt that he's at the FBI. We need to let Jordan know. She began to punch in the number of Jordan's burner, but pulled back her hand. "If she's anywhere near the office and he picks up on the call, he'll be gone."

"What about Hendricks?" Castle asked. "Can you check with Rachel to see if he's here and can make contact with Jordan - or just pick up Adam Lane himself? Adam doesn't know him. Hendricks would take him by surprise."

"Right, Castle," Kate agreed, pressing on Rachel's entry in her contact list.

"Kate, I was going to call you. Hendricks will be in place today."

For once the coin had landed on edge and the timing was perfect. Kate quickly explained the situation. They agreed that Hendricks would make contact with Jordan, and would arrest Adam Lane. Hendricks and Jordan would bring him in for interrogation together as a fugitive and alert Kate to join them when it had been accomplished. Kate jumped out of bed.

"What now?" Castle asked. "It'll be a couple of hours before anything else happens."

"I need to go over Adam Lane's file one more time. There are a lot of blanks to fill in. I want you to look at it too. We can figure out the questions we need answered, together."

Castle rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "This is one interrogation I'm really going to enjoy."

Kate nodded, satisfaction rolling over her features. "Right with you there, Castle - all the way."


	17. Chapter 17

A Hole for Two

Chapter 17

The interrogation room at the FBI was intimidating and meant to be. The white walls gave none of the relief lent by the blue paint at the precinct. The light was fluorescent and bright. Heavy metal chairs were on either side of a metal table with locking rings to accommodate shackles. Adam Lane had no shackles, just cuffs, but that didn't make him any less terrified, a condition made obvious by the moisture on his face and dark stains under his armpits. Still, facing Kate Beckett and the three that flanked her, he tried to project some level of bravado. "I'm not talking until I get a lawyer."

Hendricks rose, towering over him, his tall frame casting a shadow in the bright light. Well then you'll be silent for the rest of your life. This is no N.Y.P.D. precinct. This is a Federal facility and you are charged with federal crimes. Worse for you, you are guilty of illegally gaining access to classified information and stealing classified codes. Your actions led to a massacre. In our book that makes you a terrorist and under the Patriot Act, you don't get a lawyer, you don't get squat. Whatever you get from now on, you have to earn."

"There will be no online admirers either," Kate added. "There will be no publicity of any kind, No sympathy for being abused by some punks in high school. For you there is no world outside this room. But you're small potatoes Adam. The people we want to know about are the one's who've made you their performing seal. You give us what we want to know and it may be the difference between life in a six by nine cell by yourself with a bed, a toilet, and no internet or something better. You're a young man. You might live sixty more years in that cell. It's up to you."

All energy flowed from Adam's body leaving him limply supporting his head on his cuffed hands. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," Kate demanded, "But you can start with how you escaped, who made contact with you and who helped you."

"I was approached by a guard named Gould, "Adam began hesitantly. "He told me he could arrange for me to disappear during my transfer, but in exchange I'd have to do some computer work for the people he was working for. He told me I'd be able to get even with Detective Beckett."

"That's Captain Beckett," Castle corrected, "And who was he working for?"

"I don't know!" Adam asserted. "I never met them, never heard or saw anything about them. The transfer van was stopped and I was taken off and blindfolded. The next thing I knew I was in some sort of clinic where my face was changed."

"Who changed it?" Kate prodded.

"I don't know," Adam repeated helplessly. "Anyone who was near me had a mask and gloves."

"You're not helping yourself," Kate reminded him.

"Oh wait. The doctor had a tattoo on his arm. It was that doctor thing you see with the stick and the snakes but there was a globe and tears. And there was a woman too, but I don't think she was a nurse. She didn't do anything medical. She just talked to the doctor and told him that if he did this for her, she'd help his teams get wherever they need to go. She was tall with short hair. He called her Long. I think she was the one I worked for after that. I never saw her again. I just got calls with instructions, but it was a woman's voice. It sounded like her. When I needed I.D. and paperwork to get into the FBI, it was delivered to me by messenger and left in a box outside my door."

"Did you see or hear from anyone else?" Kate pressed.

"No," Adam insisted. "Just that woman. She gave me a satellite phone and a number to call or text her with information. "She told me where to go to hack the codes she wanted and she told me to monitor anything about Captain Beckett or her husband and to report anything Agent Shaw said or did. That's how I found out about the Garland Estate and reported it to her. Something went wrong there, I don't know what, but she was really pissed off. Since then she's kept demanding I should report more stuff, but I haven't had anything to tell her."

Kate pushed a yellow legal pad and pen across the table. Alright, I want you to write down everything – everything you can remember since Gould approached you. I want every detail, every word you transmitted and every word the woman Long said to you. We'll send in some men with big guns to keep you company while you get it all down."

"Do you believe him?" Castle asked Kate after they'd left interrogation with Jordan and Hendricks.

"I do," Kate responded. "But it doesn't get us much farther than we were. Clearly he was working for Charlotte Long, but we already knew that. We can pick up Gould, assuming he's still alive, and see what he knows. But it probably won't be much."

"There's the doctor's tattoo," Castle pointed out. "I think I may know where that's from. I saw something like it at a fundraiser for New Hope. That's a group of doctors who go all over the world, usually the worst places, to perform plastic surgery on people, especially kids, who've been torn up by bombs and landmines. That doctor might have met Charlotte Long in his travels. She could have made him think she's some kind of covert agent, like she did with you. He may have no idea he made a deal with the devil. We should be able to track him down through New Hope. I'm a pretty hefty donor. They should be willing to talk to me."

"Babe, I never knew that was one of your things," Kate exclaimed. "That's good. See if you can set up an interview with whatever doctor has that tattoo. And Jordan, Hendricks and I can babysit Adam until we're sure we've gotten everything out of him we can."

"Director Villante will want a few words with him too," Hendricks added. "We need to patch up whatever hole he got in through to steal our emergency code and we need to find out if he got anything else. I'll set up transport whenever you and Agent Shaw are satisfied you've gotten everything you want."

Jordan showed Castle to a room he could use to make his calls to New Hope. He started with the donations coordinator, Pam Houser, telling her that he was very interested in setting up a meeting for him and his wife with the doctor from the fundraiser, to find out what good works his money was accomplishing and perhaps see his way to a higher level of support. He apologized for not remembering the doctor's name, but described the tattoo. Pam wasn't sure who he meant, since several of their doctors sported the tattoo, but she told him she'd check her records about who had attended the fundraiser and get back to him. True to her word, she returned Castle's call twenty minutes later with the name Dr. Craig Frasier. She informed Castle that he was lucky Dr. Frasier had just returned from a surgical mission abroad and could meet with the Castles at his clinic the next day.

Castle returned to Kate with a triumphant grin.


	18. Chapter 18

A Hole for Two

Chapter 18

Elroy Gould was not dead, nor was he still a guard. He'd told his boss and his neighbors that he'd hit the lotto, and moved out of his tiny apartment. But he wasn't hard to trace. His credit cards and financials easily told the tale. After a couple of trips to Atlantic City, he'd bought a condo in Florida. Hendricks sent a team to bring him back to New York for questioning.

Elroy was scared. In less than twenty-four hours time he'd gone from living his dream to living a nightmare. He was willing grab for any lifeline he could, and Hendricks threw him one, special consideration from the A.G.'s office in return for information about Charlotte Long and anyone else who had contacted him to arrange Adam Long's escape.

The burly guard shifted uncomfortably in his chair like a child in the principal's office, as he faced Kate Beckett's menacing stare. "So who gave you the money to put a serial killer on the street, Elroy?"

"I guess it might be that chick you call Charlotte Long," Gould responded. "She just called herself Rita to me. I was sinking fast," he offered in a fruitless bid to gain sympathy. "My ex-wife, she took everything I had in our divorce. And I had responsibilities."

"You mean gambling debts," Kate corrected.

"Yeah," Gould admitted. "She offered me a way out and that Adam Lane, he's a little punk. I didn't see him lasting long on the outside."

"How did she contact you?" Hendricks asked.

"She called me at my apartment. Hey the call might be on the phone bill. I can tell you when. That's something, right?"

"We'll see," Hendricks replied. "So what else? Did you ever meet her?'

"No," Gould offered, "but I think I might have seen her once. We had a cash drop at one of the post office box places. When I came to make a pick up, I saw a woman walking away. Might have been her. Tall, short hair, early fifties."

Kate nodded. "Who paid for the box?"

"I guess she did," Gould concluded. "She sent me a key. I can give you the address of the store. It was box 47. I can give you the date I saw her too."

"I have to say you were at your scary best," Castle told Kate after Gould had been returned to a holding cell. "Any minute I was expecting him to pee his pants."

"He might have given us some good information," Kate mused. "It's been months, so the video may be gone, but we can check anything in the area the day she bought the box and the day she made the drop. We might get lucky. Gould saved one of the bills she gave him a souvenir. It was new. We can check the serial number, maybe trace it to her bank. If we can find her, maybe we can sweat her for the name of her employer. Much as I hate to go there, it sure would help if we could hear from your father."

"I know," Castle agreed. "I put another message up on my website this morning while you were drying your hair. But for all I know, he could be hunting spies in Chechnya or South Philly. Or he might have gotten himself shot again. When I was pulling a bullet out of him I saw a lot of scars. They're not pretty when you sew yourself up. He ran a hand softly over her midsection. But I guess you know that, I'm sorry."

"You have one of your own that we still can't account for," Kate reminded him. "But it's actually kind of butch."

Castle smiled mischievously. "I can think of much better ways of demonstrating my masculinity"

Kate reached behind him for a quick grab of well rounded flesh. "We can talk about that later. Don't we have a doctor to go see?"

"We do," Castle acknowledged.

* * *

With arms heavily muscled from lugging equipment and hard experience evident in the creases of his face, Dr, Craig Frasier looked more like a warrior than a plastic surgeon. His greeting to Castle was honest, inquiring what about his work would induce Castle to open his checkbook wider. Kate interrupted the friendly exchange by flashing her badge. "Doctor, I'm a great admirer of your work and I'm not out to get you, but we need to know about one particular surgery." Kate held up before and after pictures of Adam Lane.

"I was approached by a government agent and told that whole affair was classified," Frasier responded warily.

"If you're talking about a woman named Charlotte Long, she is no government agent, although she's extremely good at masquerading as one," Kate added wryly. "You're not the only one who's been fooled. She's a mercenary who's been responsible for the loss of a lot of lives. The man you operated on, Adam Lane, he's serial killer. He was known as the Netslayer. You can confirm that with about two seconds on Google."

Frasier looked stunned and pulled out his phone. He stared at the screen in horror as Adam's before image came up. "Oh my God! I should have known. No one pays that much for... not even the government. But she helped me to reach patients I never could have reached otherwise. I didn't want to ask too many questions. What can I do now?"

"We need every detail of your contacts with Charlotte Long." Kate explained. "Dates, times, financial transactions, trips she arranged, everything."

"Alright," Frasier agreed. "Her transactions were in cash, most of which was used on our missions. You understand, most of the people we deal with don't take checks, they want dollars or gold. You can imagine."

Kate nodded. "Did you buy any gold with the cash? The bills might have been recorded."

"I did," Frasier recalled. "My staff should have records of everything. I'll have them gather them for you."

Castle stood and extended his hand. "Thank you, Doctor. Your work is admirable and I will be upping my contribution."

"Castle, you didn't have to do that," Kate told him as they left the clinic.

"I know I didn't Kate. You could have threatened him with arrest for aiding and abetting. We would have gotten the information. But you didn't do that either. We both know he was fooled, just like Charlotte fooled you. That doesn't make either of your work any less valuable. There are a lot of kids out there who did nothing to deserve what happened to them. If I can help Frasier help them, I will. Speaking of helping, I need to check the comments on my website again for you know who." Castle pulled out his phone. "Boom! This just posted. One of the fans is complaining he'll be buried in work in the stacks when he should be eating dinner tonight. That sounds like a cue to get back to the library. It's four now. We should get over there!"

* * *

Castle found his way quickly to the mystery section of his favorite stomping grounds. Jackson Hunt was lounging in a chair, looking for all the world like he'd fallen asleep reading. Castle doubted his father was asleep. He had doubts his father slept at all. Hunt opened his eyes as the Castles approached. He silently motioned them to a stairway to the basement. When they arrived he quickly scanned for bugs before he began speaking. "You two have been generating a lot of noise. A serial killer, a mole, stolen codes, all tracing back to Charlotte Long."

Castle regarded his father, baffled. "How did you...? Never mind. My dad the spy - excuse me, intelligence asset. But Dad, we have some pretty good indications that Charlotte Long is being run by someone Kate ticked off in the CIA."

"Uh hmm, Kate screwed up the CIA's way into the Renkov family. There was a lot of fallout from that. It didn't do the agent you dealt with, Ethan Wright, any good, but the guy who really took the heat for it was Edgar Hammett."

"Edgar Hammett?" Castle repeated, "that sounds even more made up than Jackson Hunt."

"As far as I know, it isn't." Hunt responded. "maybe his parents were mystery buffs. Anyway, that's who it was. But getting to him is going to be tough. The CIA may not like him anymore, but he knows where a lot of bodies are buried. They will close ranks if you don't have some damn good proof. Do you?"

"No," Kate conceded, "not yet. But we're working on tracking down Charlotte Long and we're hoping we can get her to confirm it."

"Well good luck with that. The lady knows how to cover her tracks."

"We've noticed," Castle put in.

"Listen," Hunt said, "I'm not crazy about the idea of Hammett being after my son or my daughter-in-law. I'll see what I can dig up, but I may get called out of the country at any time, so if you find an opening, you take it. You have friends in D.C., use them. I'll be in touch if I can."

Castle just shook his head as he watched his father go.


	19. Chapter 19

A Hole for Two

Chapter 19

"I suppose your friends my father meant are the A.G.'s Task Force," Castle surmised. "Do we pass what we've learned from Frasier and my father on to Hendricks or do you want to call Villante yourself?"

"The information from Frasier should go to Hendricks. He'll be expecting it and we can use the hands and the eyes at the FBI to sift through the records. But what your father told us about Edgar Hammett, that's much higher level. It should go directly to Villante." Kate's brow wrinkled in thought. "If it goes anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Castle asked.

"Well look how much your father knew about what was going on. If he has ways to be that tuned in, so might Edgar Hammett. If we drop this on Villante, he's going to run with it and it could give Hammett a chance to slip away or worse, send more people after us while he can."

"So whom do you think my father meant about friends in D.C.?" Castle puzzled.

"Babe, we're getting into classified stuff I could never tell you, but we're way beyond that now anyway. There was a case while I was gone. It was hushed up. It never made the papers, the internet, nothing. But it's possible your father got wind of it. He seems to get wind of everything. The daughter of the Secretary of Homeland Security was kidnapped. They put me in charge of the case because of my success – really our success – with the dirty bomb in New York City. It was actually pretty standard police work. The terrorists weren't brilliant. They grabbed her at a mall. They were caught by multiple cameras. Their car was caught by cameras in the parking lot and there were enough traffic cams to give us a general idea of the direction they were going. Then when they sent a video with their demands, it was GPS tagged. We used drones to get IR readings on the place. We could tell which heat source was the daughter because it was smaller and when they left her alone in a room, we sent in a strike team and a retrieval team. We got her out without a scratch and the Secretary was very grateful. He actually gave me a hug. I have his private number too. But the CIA isn't under Homeland Security. So I don't want to start some kind of pissing contest that would just tip Hammett off."

"Look, Kate, I've spent more time with the CIA than you have. I know how they can be. But this involves the penetration of an agency on U.S. soil as well as a number of domestic dead bodies. And ours could still be added to the count," Castle argued. "Let's see if the information we got from Gould and Frasier gives us enough to get Charlotte and get her to flip on Hammett. But if it doesn't, maybe you should follow my father's advice. He's managed to stay alive this long, which in his line of work is pretty amazing. He was also miles ahead of everyone, including you and the FBI, with Alexis' kidnapping. I'm not saying he's a nice guy, or even that he's always been straight with us. Because we both know he hasn't. But so far he hasn't been wrong. Just think about doing what he said."

"I will, Castle," Kate promised. "Listen, I know Jordan and Hendricks will have people working all night going through everything we got off of Gould and New Hope. And they probably won't be able to get anything from banks until sometime tomorrow. So what I'd rather think about right now is dinner, a glass of wine, and a hot bath - not necessarily in that order."

Castle offered his arm. "Finally something simple."

* * *

With the paranoia of U.S. hotels about lawsuits, the water in the tub might not have been quite as hot as Kate wanted. The bubbles, however, were perfect, the subtle scent rising around her as Castle handed her a glass of freshly decanted red wine. "I told room service to wait a while on dinner," he said. "I figured you could use your soak time."

Kate settled lower into the foam. "Mm, you really do know me, don't you Castle?"

"I take it you're not using the term in the biblical sense since that ceased to be a question years ago," Castle teased. "But Kate, we have been married almost a year and we've been learning about each other for a lot longer than that. Baths are the easy part. It's some of the other things I'm still working on."

"Like what Castle?"

"Like figuring out what drives you. I could understand about your mother's death practically from the moment we met. You have a lust for justice. You want to save the world. That's why you went to the A.G.'s Task Force. I get that. What I can't figure out is why you wanted to be a captain. You turned away from running for State Senate because you didn't like the politics, but being a captain is a political job too. And you have to spend a lot more time shuffling paper and a lot less time chasing bad guys. I've never quite understood why you wanted it. It had to be something more than Ensign Klemp making captain ahead of you."

Kate sipped thoughtfully at her wine. "Castle, I think the problem is that my mother's death did drive me to be a cop. When we finally got that son of a bitch Bracken, I felt kind of lost. After you were taken, I was caught up in finding you and I was driven by obsession all over again. Then you were back and I thought I could finally settle down to something normal. Some of the guys in the bullpen put in twenty or thirty years being homicide cops. They know they're doing something great and it's enough. But especially after I met Zhang, I realized it isn't enough for me. I'm my mother's daughter. She was passionate about every case she took, no matter how hopeless. She never let up. I don't think I can either. I need an obsession. I need a rabbit to chase down a hole. I thought being a captain would be the next step."

"Sounds like you're not so certain now," Castle observed.

"I'm not, Castle. "I haven't been shuffling paper long, but I think a lot of it could easily be assigned to a civilian employee. And most of the correspondence I've had with 1PP has been worse than worthless. It's been a complete waste of time. Right now getting Charlotte Long and Edgar Hammett has my full attention, and we're in a rabbit hole, even if it may be one of the most luxurious ones on earth, but when this is done, when we put this behind us, I may need to rethink my direction."

"Our time traveler Doyle did say you were going to be a Senator," Castle offered. "Of course he also said we'd have three kids and I'd write literature."

"Castle, I can see you writing literature, if that's what you want to do, but I'm not going to base any life choices on the word of someone who was probably delusional. But there's got to be something I can do, maybe even as a captain, that can be as strong a driving force as my mother's death was."

Castle bent over to press a kiss to her lips. "After we get Hammett, you'll figure it out. And whatever it is, You know I'll back your play."

Kate reached up to take his hand. "That's the one thing in this world I am sure about."


	20. Chapter 20

A Hole for Two

Chapter 20

Kate pulled herself up in bed as the early morning light penetrated the hotel drapes. Still half asleep, Castle instinctively reached for her. "Don't get up. Stay in bed. We haven't heard anything from Hendricks or Jordan."

"I still have a precinct to run, Castle," Kate reminded him. "Until we do hear, I should get some time in."

Castle propped himself on his elbows. "Given what we were talking about last night, I didn't expect as much enthusiasm."

"Enthusiasm aside, Castle, It's my job and I'm committed to do it."

"Then I'm committed to being your official coffee fetcher and whatever else I can do to help." Castle threw his legs over the side of the bed and reached for a robe. "In fact, I can start now. I ordered a fresh pot to be left outside the door right about now. I'll go see if it's here." Castle pulled in a wheeled cart with an insulated carafe of dark brew, a basket of fresh pastries, a bowl of strawberries, and an assortment of condiments. Kate reached for a strawberry, hungrily sinking her teeth into the juicy red flesh. "If you're that starved, I could order up some eggs or waffles or something," Castle offered.

Castle tracked a drop of juice making it's way toward her chin as she shook her head. "No time, Babe. We need to get going."

Castle silently mourned for what he would have liked to do about that drop of juice and nodded, reaching for a caffeine jump start. Looking over his aromatic cup, he regarded her face, detecting an almost imperceptible upturn in her lips. "You have something on your mind. Something good. Kate we're sharing now," he reminded her.

"Castle, it's just the beginning of an idea. It has to do with what we talked about while I was huddled under the bubbles last night. But it's not ready yet. When it is, I'll tell you Babe. I promise."

Castle put down his cup and framed her face in his hands. "I'll be waiting."

* * *

When the doors of the elevator opened at the 12th, Kate and Castle found themselves face to face with Ryan and Esposito. "What's up?" Kate asked.

"Captain, I just was going to call you," Ryan said. "There was a body drop, a real body drop. Someone dropped one from a helicopter, in the street right in front of your loft."

Kate climbed into the back seat of Ryan and Esposito's unit and Castle squeezed in beside her. Esposito used the gumball, and the siren screamed through the short trip to Broom Street. There were multiple cars piled up. Uniforms had already blocked off the area and were interviewing Eduardo the doorman, who looked pretty close to going into shock. "I'll take this," Kate told them, pulling out her captain's badge and waving them away.

Castle joined her, asking if there was anything he could get the distressed witness. Eduardo shook his head. "Gracias, Mr. Castle."

"Just take your time and tell us what you saw," Kate encouraged.

"There was this helicopter, black like in the movies, you know. It came down right over the street. I thought maybe it land in traffic. But then door opened and body fall out. Car couldn't stop in time. Ran over it. Cars ran into other cars. I go out, look at her, try to find pulse. Couldn't feel anything. I call 911."

"So the body is a woman?" Castle asked. Eduardo nodded.

Kate rushed over to where Lanie was just arriving. She stared down at the body. Tires had marked and crushed the torso, but the face was burned in Kate's memory, Charlotte Long. Any chance they'd had of flipping her on Hammett had been dramatically wiped out. Kate had been sent a message and a loud one.

* * *

Kate's identification could only be tentative. She hadn't known Charlotte personally and neither Charlotte's prints nor her DNA were in the system. Craig Frasier was able to confirm that she was the woman he'd met, but that yielded no additional information. The information gathered by Jordan Shaw and Hendricks had been rendered moot. Kate didn't like it, but her list of options to get to Hammett had been cut to one. Castle sat with her as she made the call.

The Secretary was guarded, regarding a possible clash with the CIA as problematical. However, he didn't regard pileup on a New York street caused by the dropping of a body of a CIA contractor in traffic as good for Homeland Security either. He told Kate he'd send an investigator to meet with her. The bad news was the identity of the investigator, Agent Mark Fallon.

"I could make myself scarce," Castle suggested, "that man really, really, doesn't like me."

"Maybe," Kate conceded, "but he was willing to acknowledge that you saved New York City from a dirty bomb, even if you didn't know what the hell you were doing. If he'd had his way in kicking us off the investigation, it could have been worse than 9/11. Much as he hated the way you strayed from his procedural box, he was grateful. So was I, and I probably would have been able to show you better if Josh hadn't shown up."

Castle sighed. "Don't remind me. I thought I'd lost you to Doctor Tall, Dark, and Pushy. But alright. I really don't want to be very far from you anyway. I was just planning to hide out in the break room or something."

The amount of gray at Mark Fallon's temples had increased but he still sported the same ramrod posture. "Congratulations, Captain Beckett," he offered, noting Kate's office. "I imagined that you'd either have to end up in charge or dead on another one of Mr. Castle's rogue operations."

"Believe me," Castle protested, "I'm in no hurry to put my wife in the line of fire."

Fallon regarded the wedding rings. "So I was right the first time. You two were together, or at least you got together. Congratulations again."

"Thank you Agent Fallon," Kate responded, "but we have other things to discuss. Did the Secretary brief you?"

"He did," Fallon confirmed. "But there's one thing I'm not straight on. You two have a confidential source that believes Charlotte Long was being run by this Edgar Hammett? This is a source so classified that it can't be revealed to me, but Mr. Castle knows?"

"Castle has been read into highly classified matters before, Agent Fallon. His unique set of skills has aided the CIA on at least one matter of which I'm aware. He was also read in on a case at the A.G.'s Task Force. But in this instance, the contact is actually his."

Fallon's eyebrows rose in skepticism. "You have a super-secret source in the CIA?"

"Believe me, I didn't ask for one," Castle assured him. "Our acquaintance happened. But in this case it's a good thing it did, because right now it's our only lead to who's behind the string of dead bodies Charlotte Long left in her wake, and who wants to add Kate and me to the collection."

"Mr. Castle, I have a vivid and unpleasant memory of your use of a questionable source, even if it did work out for the best. Are you sure this one is reliable?" Fallon pressed.

The Castles looked at each other, memories of manipulation by Hunt invading their common thoughts. Their nods to each other were almost imperceptible. "In this case," Castle answered, "I am."


	21. Chapter 21

A Hole for Two

Chapter 21

Stiffly determined, Mark Fallon strode toward the elevator of the 12th. "Do you think he'll go after Hammett?" Castle asked.

"I think he's very big on following orders," Kate replied. "If the Secretary told him to do it, he'll do it. He should be able to work with Villante's people too, now that there's juice from upstairs. It's all under the same umbrella. He can probably start by trying to track down that helicopter."

"Shouldn't we be doing that too?" Castle wondered. "I mean there is the matter of a dead body showing up on your turf. Doesn't that make Charlotte Long an N.Y.P.D. case? That should be an all access pass, especially with the Secretary on your side."

"We will be tracking it, Castle, along with any evidence Lanie turns up, but that bird was probably flying below the radar and no one saw a tail number, if there was one. It takes almost no room to land or stash a copter. It could have come from anywhere. The body was pretty well compromised by falling in the middle of traffic and having a car run over it, but we'll just have to see. In the meantime I still have to oversee everything else around here."

Castle sprang from the couch "My cue to fetch coffee. You were ravenous this morning." Castle consulted his watch. "It's way too late for breakfast, almost too late for lunch. Early bird dinner?"

Kate giggled. "Castle I just got a mental picture of the two of us, with white hair, picking up our senior discount at four P.M. at Perky Pantry."

"I look forward to being together that long. But come to think of it, I saw a young guy doing the early bird thing on a sitcom once. He looked a little like me too, without the mature physique of course. But seriously then, snack now and a late dinner after we plow through the paper?" Castle offered.

"I like that you said we, Castle. But order in, okay. Having Charlotte's body dropped in front of the loft was no accident. Hammett or someone working for him is out there, and it wouldn't take much of a guess to track either one of us from here."

"How about getting back to the hotel tonight?" Castle queried.

"Maybe we can climb in the back of one of the vans," Kate mused. "We have a few hours to think about it."

Three hours of paperwork ended abruptly with a call from Lanie. "Kate, I found something. This was in Charlotte's stomach. It couldn't have been there long because it's still legible. I'm sending you a picture."

Castle looked over her shoulder as Kate stared at the picture that appeared on the screen of her phone. Castle read out two strings of numbers. "Kate that's a routing number and an account number. And it looks like they're from this country. Foreign ones are different."

"Why would Charlotte have those and why would she swallow them?" Kate puzzled.

Castle's eyes flashed with excitement. "Charlotte uncovered too much about Hammett, maybe his personal pocket account for local misdealings. Maybe she tried to use that knowledge to squeeze him. But he has a team she doesn't know about. He sends them after her. She sees them closing in and hoping for some measure of revenge, she swallows the numbers, hoping they'll lead to him."

"You know Castle, maybe I'm just really loopy from all the paperwork, but that makes a surprising amount of sense," Kate responded.

"We can trace a routing number pretty easily online," Castle added. "I learned that from my P.I. class. But to convince a bank to give us the name on an account you'll have to do your warrant thing. I'd suggest moving it along by calling Markaway, but he and his wife just went on an anniversary trip. Maybe the heavy hand of Agent Fallon is called for. He seemed to be able to materialize permission for almost anything with lightning speed. It was sort of frightening, actually."

Kate nodded slowly. "You're right. He did, and it was. But right now we can use it."

"I have a feeling," Castle supposed, "that Charlotte's impromptu snack is going to ruin our dinner plans."

"Yeah," Kate agreed. "Let's just hope it's worth it."

The Castles were still at the precinct at midnight when Fallon came through with owner of the account. "A woman!" Castle exclaimed. "That makes no sense!"

"Well maybe it does, Castle," Kate proposed. "We've seen how good Hammett is at covering his tracks. He wouldn't have an account in his own name. Maybe she's a relative."

"Or a mistress?" Castle suggested, "The femme who is his fatal mistake?"

"It's possible, Castle, as melodramatic as that might be," Kate admitted. "Machiavellian as your father is, his involvement with Martha eventually left him vulnerable. Hammett might have made a similar mistake. Anyway Fallon said he'd have people checking out the address on the account tonight. Knowing him, he'll probably want to stage a full-fledged raid in the morning. That gives us a few hours."

"We never did figure out how we're getting back to the hotel," Castle reminded her.

Kate thought for a moment. "Never mind a van. Probably the easiest thing would be to have a squad car meet us in the motor pool downstairs. No one would see us get in in and it's too dark now for anyone to spot us easily on the way. If we huddle down in the back seat and have the unit pull into underground parking at the hotel, we should be fine. Unless you want to really play spy and ride in the trunk?"

"Actually huddling down in a back seat with you sounds pretty good," Castle replied. "And even if it's long past dinner, I can call ahead and have some midnight munchies sent up."

Kate ran a hand over the concavity of her waist. "Good thought, Castle."

* * *

Kate sipped her wine and nibbled on a tidbit of cheese. "This is perfect Castle. Just what I needed to decompress."

"I've told you before Kate, nothing decompresses like a 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape. Of course watching you pop grapes in your mouth does nothing to calm me down at all," Castle confessed, adjusting himself uncomfortably. "Neither did the ride over here."

Kate covered her grin with her hand. "I actually noticed that, Babe. So what can I do to help you relax?"

"Well there is a tried and true method," Castle reminded her. "You may want to finish your wine first."

Kate put down her glass and climbed on his lap. "I don't need to." She reached for his belt. "I think I've got a handle on the problem now."

Castle pulled her toward him, their lips almost touching. "You are definitely taking matters in hand."

Their lips met with the heat of desire and the tang of wine. Castle's readiness was more than obvious. He reached under her blouse as her needy pink points pushed upward to meet his hand. As aroused as she was, she moaned as he touched her. He rose, grasping her in his arms. "We can do better than a chair," his voice rasped, carrying her to the bed long ago perfectly reset by housekeeping. He laid her down cross-ways, missing the bolsters and stacks of pillows at the head as well as the carefully placed throw at the foot.

He pulled at her clothes even as she pulled at his, the discarded garments silently meeting the thick carpet. Her hand encircled his need, drawing it towards her, even as their mouths melded. They rolled, pillows and bolsters following their shirts and pants to the floor. "I'll never have enough of you," Castled murmured before their lips met again as his hands supported her from beneath. They were together fully, moving and seeking the ultimate joining. Any thoughts of murderous spies were vanquished in a haze of raw need. They existed in a world of of nothing and no one else, until it it exploded, leaving them to rest in the embers for the remaining hours of the night.


	22. Chapter 22

A Hole for Two

Chapter 22

Castle was surprised that the owner of the bank account listed on Charlotte Long's last meal, Tara Beilstrom, maintained a home not far from his own luxurious retreat in the Hamptons. Police Chief Brady had not been overly pleased by the invasion of a full strike team at five A.M. into his usually quiet domain, nor by the brusque manner of Mark Fallon. The Castles arrived shortly after Fallon did, and tried the best they could to smooth over the conflict, with Castle promising his best scotch after the operation was done.

The Beilstrom beach house was quiet in the dark that still hung over the Atlantic coast. In full armor, Fallon's forces ringed it while Fallon approached the entrance. It took a moment for lights to come on. Tara Beilstrom opened the door, wearing a silk robe and not much else but a sleepy expression. She gazed baffled at the small army just beyond her doorstep, "Who are you and what do you want?"

Fallon held up his I.D.. "Homeland Security. Do you know a Charlotte Long or an Edgar Hammett?"

The puzzlement made no retreat from Tara's face. "I've never met a Charlotte Long, but Dash, yes. We've, um, known each other for years."

"Dash?" Fallon queried.

"It's a joke on his name," Tara explained. "Dash, Dashiell Hammett. Detective stories. Sam Spade? Nick and Nora Charles? Anyway what's this all about?"

Fallon ignored the question. "Do you know what Edgar Hammett does?"

Tara nodded. "He runs a small airline, charter and cargo. That's why he's in and out of New York a lot. Why?"

Chief Brady approached with the Castles. "Miss Beilstrom, maybe you'd be more comfortable discussing this inside." He gave Fallon a warning look. "We can leave the army outside."

The sitting room of Tara's home was furnished in the breezy but expensive style of the more upscale Hamptons residences. She seated herself on a love seat in a beachy blue while her visitors occupied a green ocean print sofa opposite her. Fallon reached across the space between them to hand her a copy of the writing found in Charlotte Long's stomach. "Do you recognize this account number?"

Tara surveyed the precisely written numerals. "No, I - wait. I think this is Dash's." Tara colored. "There were some things he wanted to buy without his wife knowing about them, so he set up an account in my name. That looks like it might be it. Is Dash in some kind of trouble? I can't see his wife sending Homeland Security to my door."

"We can't discuss that," Fallon told her. "Does Hammett have anything here? Computer? Papers?"

"He keeps a little study," Tara replied.

"Show me!" Fallon ordered.

"Wait!" Tara protested, "you can't just come barging in here and look at anything you want."

"I'm afraid they can, Miss Beilstrom," Brady informed her regretfully. "Agent Fallon has a warrant for your whole place. He can look at or take anything he wants."

"Believe me," Castle assured her, "Agent Fallon and his men are not subtle. If you don't want them tearing everything apart, it would be best to show us Hammett's study."

Tara led the way to the upper level of her home to an alcove off the master suite. There was a desk just large enough to accommodate a laptop computer and a small bookshelf holding supplies and bound notebooks. Fallon opened the laptop. "Password protected," he noted. "We'd expect that."

Kate examined the notebooks. The entries consisted of strings of numbers. "These look like they're in some kind of code."

"We'll take everything," Fallon declared. "We'll get the cryto people on it. We should get prints too, although I doubt they'll be in the system."

"Tara," Kate inquired of the increasingly agitated mistress, "How does Hammett communicate with you?"

Tara looked at her incredulously. "Like anyone else. He talks and then - well you know."

"Of course," Kate agreed, "but when he's not here, does he call, text, email?"

"Actually, he told me once he hates making phone calls," Tara responded. "He'll send a text sometimes, or an email."

"And you get all of that on your phone or do you have your own computer?" Kate asked.

"It all comes to my phone," Tara replied. "Dash got me a special one. He told me it was secure in case his wife tried snooping. He's a big fan of security. He really doesn't like people getting into his business."

"I'll bet," Castle commented.

"Tara," Kate continued gently, "we'll need to take that too."

"I'm going to have people on her 24/7," Fallon explained to Kate, as he finally retreated from the Beilstrom house. "If Hammett tries to make contact, or she tries to contact him, we'll know about it."

"I'd like copies of what's in those notebooks and whatever you get off Hammett's laptop," Kate requested.

"You think you're going to do better than our people?" Fallon demanded.

"I think extra eyes can't hurt," Kate told him, and Castle and I have more skin in this game than anyone. We need to try."

* * *

Castle and Kate sat cross legged amid the papers spread out on the over sized hotel bed. Castle squinted at the numbers on a page. "Do you see something Babe?" Kate asked.

Castle tilted his head. "They look familiar somehow and they're all either ten digits or thirteen. The ten digit numbers are definitely not phone numbers. Kate! I know! They're ISBN numbers. Before 2007 they were ten digits long, then after that, they were thirteen. These should all correspond directly to book titles." Castle bounced off the bed, holding a sheet of numbers, and went to open his laptop on the desk. "There are search engines for ISBN's." Castle typed in numbers and wrote down the results on a legal pad. "Kate, these are mostly one word titles, but some of them are numerical. There are so many books out these days that Hammett could use titles to spell out just about anything. I need to put something like this in my next book. Or maybe I could use Dewey decimal and go old school."

"Castle," Kate counseled, smiling at his excitement over his discovery, "you can worry about your next book later, but right now we need to let Fallon know. He can put enough people on this to get through the notebooks faster than we ever could, even with your wizardry at the keyboard. We need to check on whether he's managed to make it into Hammett's computer too. If not, Hammett's ISBN system might be some kind of clue."

"Right," Castle agreed, "his password might even be the ISBN for a book by Poe or Dashiell Hammett. Can you get him on Skype or Facetime? I want to see his face."

"Sorry Castle," Kate apologized, "I can just do a plain old phone call, but there will be compensations."

Castle wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh? What kind of compensations?"

"Well now that we know what all these numbers stand for, we can get all these sheets of paper off the bed and put it to better use."

"Yes!" Castle exclaimed. "I can think of a much better use. Kate, hurry up and make your call."


	23. Chapter 23

A Hole for Two

Chapter 23

Mark Fallon came to Kate's office, where the Castles were working together on administrative paperwork. "I need to brief you two."

"That doesn't sound good." Castle responded.

"Well first, you were right out the ISBN numbers. Our people decoded all the notebooks. They go back years. It turns out Hammett has been running a rogue operation from within the CIA. He's been appropriating funds, equipment, anything he could get his hands on. He's also been tied in with the drug trade out of Afghanistan. While he was in charge of so many agents in theater, he was able to easily hide what he was doing - too easily. But then when the mess with the Renkovs hit, you really pulled the rug out from under him. That's probably why he has such a vendetta against you, it wasn't just the demotion."

"Where is he now?" Kate asked.

Fallon pressed his lips in a tight line and shook his head. "That's just it. We don't know. No one has seen him or heard from him since the night before we hit Tara Beilstrom's place. He must have gotten wind of the plan."

Castle silently pictured Fallon's army. He wasn't surprised. When that many people are publicly involved, a leak is inevitable. But the cat was already out of the bag. He didn't feel it was necessary to point out the obvious. "How about the laptop we found? Were you able to get anything off it?"

"We got the password," Fallon answered. "You were right about that too. It was the ISBN number of 'The Glass Key.' But that's as far as we got. But there are several levels of encryption and our people haven't gotten through all of them yet. I don't even know if they will."

"How about Tara Beilstrom?" Kate queried, "has he tried to contact her?"

"Not that we've been able to determine," Fallon replied disgustedly. "We took the phone he gave her. She has another one, plus a land line. We have intercepts on those and on her internet. There's been nothing."

"Is it possible that she knew a lot more than she let on?" Castle offered. "Maybe they had some kind of predetermined plan in case the roof fell in. Has she tried to go anywhere at all?"

"Coffee shop, but she didn't use the wi fi, and a local food market, The Red Barn."

"Anything unusual about what she did when she was there?" Kate prompted.

Fallon pulled out his phone. "Here, I'll bring up the report. She was there for forty-five minutes. Apparently she's a very careful shopper. She kept reading labels on cans and putting them back. Then she finally picked the ones she wanted. "

"The Red Barn is about five minutes from her house," Castle noted. "I know, I shop there myself."

"What are you getting at, Castle?" Kate asked.

"Just that if you're in an unfamiliar store, sometimes you have to put a lot of effort into shopping. But a store you go to on a regular basis? You're in and out. You usually know pretty much what's there and where it is. You don't have to spend forty-five minutes perusing labels. I think what she bought might have been a message of some kind. Do we know what it was - exactly what it was?"

Fallon shook his head. "Our people just made note that she spent the time shopping."

"Damn!" Castle exclaimed. "Wait! Red Barn has store discount cards."

"Why is that important?" Fallon demanded impatiently?

"Because in exchange for whatever discount the store gives you, they keep a record of everything you buy," Castle explained. "They use the information for marketing and sometimes sell it as well. Red Barn should know everything she purchased, and if Hammett is plugged in somehow, so would he."

"Seems like an incredible long shot," Fallon commented doubtfully.

"If you have something better I'd love to hear it," Castle returned.

"Right now we don't," Fallon admitted. "All right, I'll get on it."

* * *

The groceries were lined up on the table in the Castles' suite. "That's everything she bought," Kate said, "a bunch of canned goods and then some milk, lettuce, tomatoes, and apples."

"Let's put the produce aside for now," Castle suggested. "Fallon said she spent a lot of time reading the labels on cans before she picked out what she wanted. These days that's a veritable deluge of information, with ingredients, vitamins, minerals, additives. It's like a usage agreement for software. There's so much there, no one wants to read it."

"Castle," Kate mused, "he used ISBN numbers for his notebook code. Those are like bar codes. On actual books, they are bar codes. Maybe there's something about the bar codes on the cans. It Hammett got a readout from the store, isn't that what he'd get anyway?"

"Right!" Castle agreed. "These are long numbers. Maybe it's the first numeral or the last numeral, some kind of cipher?"

"Tara was doing it in her head in the grocery store," Kate pointed out. "Unless she's some kind of savant, she would have to keep it simple. One equals 'a', two equals 'b'?"

Castle started working on a pad. "Ntq rons? Not unless they're speaking Argellian. Maybe it's just offset by one. That would still be pretty simple." Castle started scribbling again. "Our - spot - usual - time. That's it Kate!"

"Castle," Kate protested, "we still have no idea where or when that is."

"But Tara Beilstrom knows," Castle asserted, "and Fallon's people have her under constant surveillance. Sooner or later she's going to lead us to Hammett."

* * *

At her desk in her office, Kate checked a text from Fallon. "Castle, it has been three days and Tara hasn't made a move. The laptop hasn't been decoded either."

"Well, on the up side, you've gotten things a lot more settled here. There's barely anything in your in box. Which brings me to that little idea that you had. Are you ready to let me in on it yet?" Castle asked.

Kate's brow crinkled. "Maybe. I think I've got it straight in my head. I've noticed for a long time the way things are organized around here may be too compartmentalized."

"How so?" Castle wondered.

"Just that homicide is up here. Robbery is downstairs. Narcotics, gangs, missing persons, cyber crime, they're all separate," Kate explained. "A lot of crimes have several components. Drugs may cause robberies and homicides. Gangs may be involved in almost anything. I was just thinking if I could put together a squad of cops with experience in different areas, they could assist with some of the more complicated cases and no one would have to wait to hear back from another division. We'd be able to look at the same crime from different points of view."

"And you could coordinate it?" Castle assumed.

"Right," Kate confirmed. "It would give me more time in the trenches and help me learn more about all the aspects of police work I'm supposed to be supervising. But it may be an uphill battle with 1PP to get it started. Changes in the system are not their favorite thing."

"Do you think it'll be worth the fight?" Castle asked.

"I really do, Castle."

Castle pushed back her hair and cupped her cheek in his palm. "Then I'm your corner man."


	24. Chapter 24

A Hole for Two

Chapter 24

Castle climbed into bed next to Kate, but didn't sleep. He propped his head on his arms and stared at the unremarkable hotel ceiling.

"What's the matter, Babe?" Kate asked.

"Tara Beilstrom still hasn't gone anywhere. Why send a message like that and just stay put? It doesn't make any sense. Could Hammett be coming to her somehow?" Castle puzzled.

Kate rolled over to face him. "How? The road in and out of beach house is constantly watched. If a car, even a bicycle approached, it would be seen. The house is bugged. If someone did manage to get in somehow, it would be heard."

"There's got to be another way," Castle insisted. "Hammett is very literary and there's all sorts of literature about secret meeting places. The Beilstrom house isn't like mine. Hers is a lot closer to the ocean. There could be a way in from the sea, or maybe one of those little sea caves accessible by a secret passage from the house, like old sewer tunnels and the East River are from the Old Haunt."

"Castle, what mystery story are you getting this from?"

"I think there was a Nancy Drew with something like that." Kate gave him a skeptical look. "What? A guy can read Nancy Drew. She even knew how to fix cars, which put her one up on me, but probably not on you. Anyway, I think I remember a cave. I'm pretty sure I saw something on Bay Watch too."

"Now that I can believe," Kate laughed. "So Castle, assuming you're right, where would this sea cave or secret meeting place be and how would Hammett get there unseen?"

"I'm still working on that," Castle admitted. "I'm going to need plans of Tara Beilstrom's house and geological maps of the area."

Kate reached out and brushed an errant strand of hair off his forehead. "Castle, you're not going to find the Hamptons Planning Office or a geological office open now. Maybe you should just let it go until morning."

Castle sat up. "I can't, Kate. I have all these scenarios roiling in my brain. And as lovely as Baron Tower is, it's really just a gilded safe house. I want us to be able to drive the streets without taking avoidance routes, to be able to go to our home. I want this thing over!" He pushed back the covers. "I need to do some research tonight."

Kate opened her eyes at seven A.M. to see Castle bent over his laptop at the desk. "Babe have you been up all night?"

Castle turned around, his face more excited than weary. "Kate, I've been researching the history of Long Island. Did you know that Richard Coote, Earl of Bellomont, the Colonial Governor of New York in 1699 called Long Island 'a great receptacle for pirates?' The East Hamptons were a haven for them and for smugglers. Captain Kidd was even on Long Island. I couldn't find any promising caves, but there are lots of inlets from the sea, lots of hidden places that fill up when the tide comes in. The geological map online for East Hampton turned out to be for Massachusetts, so I still need something for the area near the Beilstrom House. The Geological Survey will do an online chat, but there's no one available yet. The Coast Guard might know about the details of the coast, or maybe the local fishing organizations do."

"Castle, the offices still won't open for at least an hour. You should grab a shower and some breakfast and maybe you can close your eyes for a little while before you tackle this some more. If we get the documents you want, it would be better to look at them alert."

Castle checked the time displayed at the bottom of his screen. "Breakfast should be arriving any minute now. I put in the order last night when I had them send up a pot of coffee - several pots of coffee. I can shower when we're done, then we'll see." Castle hit a few keys. "Damn, the Planning Office in the Hamptons doesn't open for two hours yet. You may be right about catching a power nap."

Fully dressed, showered, and fed, Castle dozed lightly. His eyes flew open at nine A.M. and he reached for his phone. The Planning Office, after getting assurances from Chief Brady, was cooperative, emailing Castle plans for the Beilstrom beach house. He projected the images on the huge screen in the suite and stood in front of it studying the details of the lower level. "What are you looking for?" Kate asked.

Castle pointed. "Look, this is supposed to be a storm cellar. There's only a hatch leading down there. I bet Fallon's people didn't even find it when they searched. A storm cellar's a damn good idea in the Hamptons with the nor'easters. Our house has one too, you know. I don't think I ever showed it to you on the grand tour. There isn't much down there except emergency supplies, a short wave radio and a camping potty. I had some plans to outfit it as a man cave, but my designer had such a look of horror on her face when I suggested it, I let it go. There is a booster down there so the wi fi from the house works. We could always take our phones and laptops down there if we needed to, but I digress. The whole idea of a storm cellar for the Beilstrom house should be protection from the sea. But there's a door here on the wall fronting the beach. That makes no sense. There would be better access to the beach from up above with stairs leading down, and it looks like the house has those. If there was a surge and that door gave way or there was leakage around it, then it wouldn't be protection from a storm, it would actually put the house in more peril. That door has to lead somewhere or serve another purpose. I'll know more when I find out about inlets. I'd suggest we go take a look from inside the house, but if Tara's doing what I think she's doing, that would really tip our hand. We may need a boat."

* * *

Castle surveyed the small dinghy. "Did it have to be sky blue? What were the odds? This triggers some memories, and not good ones. I can feel a scorched throat and four days worth of sunburn."

"Babe are you going to be able to do this?" Kate wondered.

Castle answered with a wry smile. "Hey, I survived in the middle of the Atlantic. I can survive a short jaunt along the Long Island coast, especially if it uncovers where Hammett may be hiding. And if we go in with anything more than this, we're almost guaranteed to be spotted. I don't want any possible leaks from Fallon's team either. We can do this."

Casting off from The Hamptons' Marina, Castle steered the tiny boat the few miles up the coast until staring through binoculars, Kate sighted the Beilstrom Estate. Castle cut the engine and took the oars. "Prep school education came in handy for something. At least I learned how to row." The ocean edged inward toward the land. "There Kate, that's what I was looking for, there it is!" The dribble of ocean water cutting its way into the beach was barely visible with the tide at a low level, but the water was rising as the tide came in. Using one oar on alternate sides of the craft, Castle slowly propelled the boat up the narrow salty stream into a tiny cove, invisible from above. A short path led from the edge of the cove to a door.


	25. Chapter 25

A Hole for Two

Chapter 25

Castle laid his oar inside the dinghy. "C'mon Kate. We should have a look."

Kate picked up an oar. "Castle, we should get the boat out of here and call in back-up."

There was no chance to argue. The door sprang open with the barrel of an AK-47 the first thing Kate saw. "Uh, uh, uh," came a surprisingly mild voice as she dropped the oar to reach for her pistol. "I'll cut you down before you can even point it. So just lay your gun gently in the bottom of the boat. And the one in your ankle holster too. Kate Beckett, this may be our first meeting, but I've studied you very carefully. And Richard Castle, I've studied you too. I figured the two of you might figure this place out eventually, so there's a fiber optic camera and IR sensors. I knew the minute you arrived. Now if you would be so kind as to join me. I don't want to kill you yet. After everything you did to me, that would not be very satisfying. But I wouldn't mind taking out a major joint or two. I've heard that the pain you'd suffer from that would be exquisite." Hammett motioned with the gun. "Now get out of the boat and come into my parlor."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you sound like a bad Bond villain?" Castle asked.

"No one who lived to tell about it," Hammett replied smiling. "Get going."

As Hammett kept his rifle trained on them, the Castles made their way carefully from the boat across the damp rock leading to the door. Behind it was an underground apartment. Castle noted a monitor for the outside camera as well as additional screens for computer equipment. There was a kitchen area, a bedroom with a roomy bed, a comfortable chair, couch, coffee table, and a desk. An open door led to what looked to be a half bath. "All the comforts of home," Castle commented.

Hammett continued smiling. "I don't expect you'll be too comfortable." He inclined his head toward the two chairs at the kitchen table. "Have a seat." He used his elbow to depress a button on the wall. After a couple of minutes, stairs folded down from a hatch above and Tara Beilstrom descended. "I think they're fit to be tied," Hammett told her.

Tara grabbed a roll of Grizzly Tape from a drawer in the kitchen. Put your arms behind you," she commanded Kate. Tara pulled Kate's shoulders back tightly and taped her wrists and then her ankles. She did the same with Castle. She turned to Hammett. "Now what, Dash?"

He pursed his lips in consideration. "We can let them sit that way for a while, let their muscles cramp. I'm actually in the mood for pasta. You? Maybe with a nice Chianti?"

"Sure you don't want fava beans with your Chianti?" Castle jibed.

"Go ahead and joke," Hammett encouraged him. "After a while you'll feel much more like screaming. But I assure you, this place is quite soundproof. No one will hear you."

Castle looked at Kate. "And you think I watch too many movies. This guy is a walking trope."

"You may think so. But at least," Hammett reminded him, "I can walk. Neither of you will ever do that again." He turned to Tara. "Dinner?"

Castle could smell the Marinara sauce and couldn't believe that even knowing that torture and death were imminent, it could still make him hungry. Just one more torture, he supposed. Of course the biggest one was knowing he'd brought Kate here. There should have been a better, safer way to do this, possibly under the eye of Esposito through a scope, but it was too late to think about that now. There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. He'd just have to wait until it presented itself.

Since the Castles were occupying the kitchen chairs, Hammett and Tara took their dinner to the couch, putting their wine glasses on the coffee table. The Castles could only watch as their captors ate and drank with obvious enjoyment. Finally Tara put the dishes in the small sink. "Time to start the show," Hammett announced. "I've always been fond of overtures." The knife Hammett grabbed from the kitchen looked to Castle like one he might use to fillet fish, but Castle was sure Hammett had much more nefarious purposes in mind. "A hint of things to come."

Castle winced as Hammett used the narrow blade to make a two inch cut in Castle's forearm."No!" he shouted as Hammett made a similar cut on Kate.

Hammett looked back to Castle. "Oh, the husband protests the treatment of his wife. How touching. Not that there's a thing you can do about it. Well that's all part of the fun. Let's see what else I can do." Hammett lifted Kate's shirt. "Well you've already got some scars here. You won't get any more. What I'm going to do to you will never have a chance to heal." Castle struggled against his bonds as Hammett carved a small piece of flesh from Beckett's side."You know, the Chinese used to do the death of a thousand cuts. They'd carve out a piece at a time until someone slowly died. It wasn't just the pain. It meant that the victim wouldn't be whole in the afterlife - the ultimate punishment. They banned the practice in 1905, but I love carrying on traditions. Might as well make you match." Hammett turned the knife back to Castle and looked satisfied with his work. "Alright, I'll give you two a little time to clot and then come back for more pieces. Castle, it looks like I could carve a lot from you. Too bad your wife is so slender." Hammett turned to Tara. "More wine?"

Hammett gouged several more chunks of flesh from each of his captives. After each time he did, Castle noticed that Tara was getting more and more aroused, running her hands over Hammett as they continued to drink wine. Finally Tara reached for Hammett's crotch. "I need to do it, Dash."

"Fine," Dash agreed. "One more perfect insult. "They can listen to what they'll never get to do again."

The open bedroom door was not in that Castle's line of sight, but the sounds of sex were foul intrusions. Castle could feel the acid rising in his throat with the moans and creaking of springs. He had expected Hammett to return after his interlude, but the moans had been replaced by two sets of snores. Castle could see two empty Chianti bottles and realized the wine had made its effects known. "Kate," Castle whispered, "this is our chance to get away from that those maniacs."

"Castle, how?" Kate whispered back. "You ever put anything on with Grizzly Tape? It never comes loose!"

"Alexis and I have done countless projects with it. It doesn't come unstuck, but it does tear pretty easily. Actually tearing it is better than using scissors, because they get gummed up. If I can just lift up a little so I can use my shoulders to put some torque on it." Castle pushed his feet hard against the floor raising himself inches in his chair. At first his shoulders were too stiff to move, but they began to loosen up. He rotated them, causing matching motion in his wrists.

Kate heard a faint tearing sound. "Castle, I think you're getting it!"

Castle could feel the pressure on his wrists loosening. Finally his bonds parted.


	26. Chapter 26

A Hole for Two

Chapter 26

Snores still emanated from the bedroom as Castle grabbed the knife Hammett had left on the table. He quickly finished freeing himself and Kate. Kate grabbed her guns and their phones from where Hammett had stowed them in a drawer, and peered cautiously into the bedroom. "He's got his AK-47 leaning against the nightstand. If we approach him and wake him, he could grab it."

"I'm betting not faster than you can shoot him. Turn about is fair play." Castle picked up the roll of Grizzly Tape. "You keep him covered and I'll grab the rifle and bind them, although considering their tastes, they might like the bondage. Still, as soon as we have them immobilized, you can call in the troops. The unit watching the road is only a couple of minutes away."

A stiff as they were from their wounds and confinement, the Castles moved as quietly as they could, following Rick's plan. Tara and Hammett were tightly taped hand and foot before they could awaken. Kate was not surprised to find no bars on either phone. "Castle, I need to go out the door to call, probably out from under the overhang that hides this place. Can you keep them covered, just in case?"

Castle held up the AK-47. "I think I can manage."

On the inside, the door was closed with a simple deadbolt. Kate opened it and made sure it wouldn't lock again when it closed behind her. There were still no bars on either phone. She climbed into the boat. Her cuts screamed as she picked up an oar, but gritting her teeth, she guided the boat toward the sea. Bars appeared after a few yards and she quickly summoned help before returning the boat to the door and rejoining Castle to await back up.

* * *

The small Hamptons hospital was pleasant and uncrowded and if their blood covered clothes hadn't garnered instant attention for the Castles, the insistence of the sirens on the official vehicles that brought them would have. The nurses and doctor on duty tried their best to maintain their professional passivity, but Hammett's work was shocking. Each wound required multiple stitches and there were many wounds. Emergency blood counts also confirmed what appearances made obvious and Kate and Rick were both given blood transfusions before their departure could even be considered. Finally it was agreed that they would be transported to the nearby Castle Beach house, where the housekeeper hurried over to help make them as comfortable as possible.

* * *

With a fire blazing cheerfully in the elevated grate, and propped on piles of pillows, the Castles snuggled under the satiny sheet and comforter. Kate scrolled through the messages on her phone. "Fallon says the CIA sent several agents to join the team interrogating Hammett. They finally managed to decrypt his computer too. He'll be chained to a table answering hard questions for months."

"They should chain him to an anthill and pour honey on his eyeballs," Castle responded.

"Didn't Gina come up with something like that as a threat if you didn't show up for a book signing?" Kate asked.

"She did," Castle admitted, "But I'll go along with a good idea, even from my ex-wife. With her being my publisher, I've gotten used to it. But speaking of good ideas, when we go back to the precinct on Monday, are you going to work on yours?"

"I already have, Castle. I couldn't just lie here reading and watching video. I sent feeler emails to several very experienced cops I have in mind. I contacted Bill Garrett too, in case he might want to act as an adviser on the cyber angle. I want to get Ryan and Esposito involved as well," Kate added. "Ryan is legendary for taking down the drug dealers on Staten Island and Espo is so good with ESU operations. I want you too. You still have ideas that no cop would ever come up with and it gives you a much better reason to be at the precinct than fetching coffee. I'll be setting up a meeting to see what we can put together. I want to try one case. Then if we're successful, I want to drop the whole thing on 1PP pretty much as a done deal."

"It is a lot easier to apologize than ask for permission," Castle agreed. "And if you present 1PP with a solved high profile case, they'll probably take credit for it anyway. If I know my poker buddy the chief, he'll call a press conference. Are you sure you're up to all that, on top of everything else you'll have to catch up with? Volume wise, you were more cut up and lost more blood than I did, and moving is still not my favorite thing."

"I'm up to it, Castle," Kate assured him. "I feel like a thousand pounds is off my shoulders. When the CIA is finished with Hammett, he'll probably end up in a deep hole somewhere."

"If he doesn't meet an end at the hands of someone like my father," Castle put in. "Hell my father might even do it."

"I hope not," Kate confessed. "I don't want Hammett to get off as easy as a bullet in the brain. He should rot slowly and preferably painfully, for a long time."

"My wife is bloodthirsty," Castle noted. "That's something I've always loved about you."

Kate's brows rose. "You love me for my blood lust?"

"Among so many other things, but those will have to wait until the stitches come out."

* * *

The conference room was full, with Garrett, Ryan, Espo, Kate, and Castle, as well as Sargeant Carl Lubens from Robbery, Angela Lopez from Gangs, Kyle Morano from Missing Persons, Sergei Chekov from Vice, and Sargeant Sylvie Seacrest from SVU. "This is an organizational meeting," Kate began, handing out printouts. "I'm giving you what I view as the mission for this team, as well as short bios for everyone. Those of you who don't know each other can get an idea of who we all are. But if we're going to get this thing going, we're going to need a case, and a difficult one. I'm opening the floor for suggestions, and remember we'd be looking for something that would call for the skills of at least a majority of the members of this group."

"I think I might have one," Morano told the assembly. "The rate of disappearances of teens has been rising. At first we were just writing them off as runaways. But with some there have been none of the usual scenarios. There's been no evidence of abuse in their homes. We interviewed their parents, their teachers, their friends. Their schoolwork hadn't suffered. No one thought they'd turned to drugs."

"Male or female?" Sylvie asked.

"Both," Morano replied. "That's another thing that's so strange about it. There doesn't seem to be a pattern. Before we've seen some ambitious pimp trying to build a stable, or something. This time, there's just nothing."

"Did you check their computers and phones?" Garrett asked.

"Email and texts," Morano replied. "We haven't had the resources for anything else."

"Well now you do," Kate declared. "Let's get on this."

The room slowly emptied out as the meeting came to a close, leaving Kate and Castle behind. "You look wrung out," he told her. "I know how drained I still am and you've been working a lot harder than I have."

"I'm not so sure," Kate responded. "I'm not the one who's been up half the night to catch up on five chapters before a deadline. But the thought of the bed at the loft does seem pretty good right now."

Castle extended a hand. "Then let's go home."

They left the precinct arm in arm.

Finis

This is a natural ending for this story and the beginning of another one. I'll pick up with _The_ _CB_ _s (Captain's Best)_ and the new case. It will be the same AU world.


End file.
